Give and Take Away

The last month of my life has been perhaps the most eventful one, for I have moved from Texas to California with my parents and then moved into Hotchkiss Hall at The Master's College. (And by the way, Disneyland lied. Hotchkiss is the happiest place on earth.)

My stay here at TMC has been started by WOW (Week Of Welcome.) WOW is an eventful week of orientation for new students that is full of things from trips to the beach to class-like lectures to luaus to crazy dorm competitions to concerts. Over the past week I have started to settle in at TMC and made many new friends. I have certainly been blessed.

Today I experienced another blessing as I went home to celebrate my birthday with my parents, my brother and his wife, Ty "the Guy" Sager, and my uncle Ernie. We had a great time together, and I also was blessed with gifts like a digital camera, a Brita water filter, a sweet cork-board/whiteboard, and a live performance by Godsong. After the party was over I was able to relax around the house and watch a Braves game.

However, in the midst of such awesomeness, I have also experienced some difficulties. The main difficulty is that over the past few days I have developed a very annoying cold. On Thursday I had a sore throat, on Friday a severely stuffed-up nose, and today a cough that makes me sound like I've smoked for 50 years. Along with all this I have felt very achy and tired. This situation has in some ways cut-back on my ability to enjoy some of the blessings of this week.

As I have thought about this situation, I keep remembering the lyrics to Matt Redman's song, "Blessed be Your Name." Many of the lyrics for this song come from Job, and it speaks of praising God all the time, whether the "world is all that it should be" or our road is marked with suffering. The Lord has certainly blessed me in so many ways this week, and he has also sovereignly chosen to give me a trial with my health. So whether I am relaxing with family or the guys on the wing or coughing up a storm, what can I say but "Blessed be the name of the Lord."

The Road Home
Home...But Not Home Yet

When I wake up in the morning now, instead of feeling my fan and the air conditioning, I feel the cool morning air coming through my window. When I go out to lunch now, In-N-Out Burger is always at the top of my option list.

It does indeed feel great to be back in sunny Southern California. Not only does it feel great to be here, but it is thrilling to think that I live here now. But as I have traveled this road home, I keep encountering a certain thought: California is not really home! Although California will always feel like an earthly home to me, I have started thinking about how Christians can never really call any earthly place "home." Our home is Heaven, and we must therefore live as strangers & exiles here in this world. Hebrews 11 says, "But [Abraham and Sarah] desire a better country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city."

So whether we're from Texas, California, Maine, or Hawaii, we must live life remembering that Heaven is our home. We should plan careers in the light of eternal impact. We should treat money like it all belongs to God (because it does), and we should make sure we invest in heavenly treasures.

My internet is now up and running here at college, so hopefully blogging will resume to some state of normality. Until next time, keep stepping onto liquid.

Pictures from
The Road Home









This is pretty much the view I had while driving behind the parents, so you can probably tell that there is not much scenery on the stretches of road we were driving on. Therefore, I passed the time listening to some great music, including Matt Redman's new cd and lots of Coldplay.










Sunset on the road...

Here's a picture of a cool but random rock in Arizona.










This was our favorite stop of the trip. We stopped at the In-N-Out in Palm Springs at Ramone Road for our first In-N-Out Burgers as returned Californians.




























These are some pictures of/from our new house.

The Road Home
And We're Off

This morning we all woke from excitement at six in the morning, ate breakfast, and we on the road by 6:30 AM. I am now posting this during a brief stop in Fort Stockton.

No, not really...

We slept in this morning. Yesterday the final round of the PGA championship was not completed due to weather, so we decided that we would stick around and watch it this morning. Phil Mickelson won his second major (his reaction to his first is pictured above) with an exciting birdie on the 72nd hole.

But now we are off. I am turning off my laptop, placing it in its case, going to the car, and leaving. Pray for good safety and Godspeed for us. We are leaving just after 10 AM, Central Time.

Some thoughts for today:
Psalm 138&139

The Road Home
The Final Farewell

As a pastor at Believers Fellowship, one of my dad's greatest desires was for people to come to Sunday Evening Church and Wednesday Night Prayer meeting. Tonight he found out how to ensure a crowd: leave. Believers Fellowship was packed out tonight as my father preached his last message there.

The service brought some great times of reflection on the great things God has done over the past ten years. Many tears were shed, but overall the night brought a focus on the goodness and the grace of God.

After the service, there was a Farewell Reception in the gym, and we got the chance to say good-bye to the believers with whom we have fellowshiped here in Texas. After that I went to Starbucks in the Forum with a good crew of my friends. We drank Frappuccinos, we played cards, we had some good times.

As I was walking out of Starbucks, I thought to myself, "Texas life is over." Tomorrow we leave it all behind as we head out to California. Who knows when or if we will see many of the people we said good-bye to tonight. This move will bring big changes to the Blakey family. My dad will be starting a new ministry, my mom will be getting involved in new ways at a new church, and next Saturday I will be checking in at The Master's College.

We are sad as we leave many friends behind in Texas, but we are eager to get on the road and excited to see the ways that God will be good to us in our new lives in California.

I'm off to bed now because tomorrow we leave, and the road home is long.

The Road Home
Remember

Yesterday was our last chance to spend a day out and about in the city of San Antonio, so we did. And of course you cannot leave Texas without visiting the Alamo one more time, or so my dad says. Once as a little boy he cried when his family went through Texas without going to the Alamo. Texas is a big state; his family was nowhere near San Antonio. Nevertheless, we were not far from this Shrine of Texas Liberty, so we went downtown to visit the Riverwalk and the Alamo one more time.

Dowtown San Antonio is a miraculously wonderful place. The cleanliness and beauty of the Riverwalk leave you with a feeling that most downtowns do not. We enjoyed walking around the Riverwalk one last time and even enjoyed lunch at the new Johnny Rockets there. We had a great time downtown, walking the Riverwalk and "Remembering the Alamo" one more time.


In our last day out and about in San Antonio, we also visited one more spot for the sake of remembrance. We visited the gravesite of the Rehrers. It was somewhat of a surreal experience to think that four people who had been full of life now lie lifeless there in the ground. This is the end we will all meet someday. The Rehrers now only live in the presence of their Lord. However, in a sense they will always live on in the hearts and memories of everyone who knew them. Even when we are gone, we all leave behind a legacy of what we lived for, and we all remember the impact the Rehrers had on our lives. This made me think about what kind of legacy I will leave behind. Am I living for something that will make an impact beyond my lifetime? Or really, am I living for the Lord and making an impact for eternity?

Yesterday was a good day of visiting San Antonio and remembering the legacies of others. Today will be our last day at Believers Fellowship, and that will be both exciting and sad as it will bring many good-byes. For tomorrow, we hit the road home.

The Road Home
The Nest is Empty

When I turned on the light in my room today, instead of hearing the normal click of flipping a light switch, I heard more of a resounding snap. The reason for the noise: my room was empty. Today movers came and loaded up all our belongings on a moving truck. There is no turning back now; California here we come.

As the movers continued to empty our home, the excitement between me and my parents grew. About every few minutes, one of us would say, "Hey...we're moving!"

But in the midst of the excitement, there are some sad good-byes. I spent last night hanging out with some of my best friends from high school. We spent one more night having some good times and reflecting on all the fun we've had over the past years. Saying good-bye has been a bit harder than I thought it would be. I start saying "later" to someone who I've hung with for the last four years, and I start to realize, "Who knows when I will see this person again?" Saying farewell to many of these friends has forced me to reflect on my time in Texas, both on opportunities taken and opportunities lost. I have seen how God has worked in my life, but I have also seen many areas where I still have so much to learn. Praise God for his faithfulness, praise God for his mercy.

We will be staying the weekend at the home of the Ashers, some friends from church. They have a wireless network, so I'll be able to keep blogging for the time being.

Quote of the day:
"You are good
You are good
And your love endures today"
-Matt Redman, "Lord, Let Your Glory Fall"

The Road Home
Step Onto Liquid's Chronicling of the Blakey's Move Back to California

My blogging is about to get very sporadic, but do not fret for I have a good excuse. Tomorrow morning, a moving truck will arrive at my house and most of my family's belongings will be loaded onto it. Then on Monday, my dad, my mom, and I will pile into two vehicles along with the rest of our possessions and set out on the road home to California.

Although we have lived in San Antonio, Texas, for the last 10 1/2 years, California has always been home for us. Our time in Texas has brought many wonderful people and memorable moments into our lives, and we will certainly miss those whom we have known over the past decade. However, now our path points back to the land of California, and we are all very excited to be going home.

I plan to chronicle the trip through writings and pictures, and I will post whenever I can. However, some of the entries will be posted later and dated back, and remember that all official post times are in Pacific Time.

So please keep checking back to read about the Blakeys as we chase the sun on our road home...

Currently Reading:
When People are Big and God is Small
By Edward T. Welch

For Christmas 2003, my wonderful parents gave me this book. Since then it has been sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust. I guess I thought I did not really need to read a book on peer pressure and the fear of man. I was not shy, quiet, and afraid of people, nor did I run with the wrong crowd for the wrong reasons.

However, over the past week I have started to read this book, and I am already regretting waiting so long to do it. In the first chapter, Welch describes many ways that the fear of man will show up in life, and my eyes were opened to see how it has in mine.

Hopefully there will be a full book review when I am finished...

Does God Want You to be Happy?

Last Sunday I had the pleasurable privilege of teaching Children's Bible Hour at my church one last time. Finding a topic to talk about in my last time was not hard at all. At once I knew that I would talk to the kids about happiness. I know God has taught me much about the reality of happiness over the last few years, and I am also disturbed at how kids suddenly reach an age where happiness and excitement are uncool.

As I thought about happiness, I realized that I think and teach about happiness a lot. I guess that is because I believe true happiness is very important. However, I feel like I sigh whenever I come across a television channel or radio station that is always telling me, "God wants you to be happy!" So I found myself pondering the question, "Does God want us to be happy?" I think the answer is very simple; the important part is how you define the question.

The world clammers after happiness, yet it seems to have no clue what true happiness is. On Sunday, I talked with the kids about some "happy" misconceptions. We talked about how happiness is not equal to having fun or being excited all the time. Happiness is also not related to things going your way. We reached the conclusion that true happiness cannot be found in the things of the world. Even if you have that sweet house on a Hawaiian hilltop, your happiness is not guaranteed.

In my final words to the kids at Believers Fellowship, I told them that true happiness is all about joy in the Lord. Our joy finds its roots in something so much deeper than anything this world has to offer; our happiness rests on the God who made the world and owns everything in it. Also, our joy should be a constant thing (Phil 4:4), because it is based on a constant God. This true joy in the Lord can only come when we have repented and been forgiven of our sin through Jesus Christ, which is God's desire for all. (2 Peter 3:9)

So back to the question, "Does God want you to be happy?" It depends on how you define it. If you mean, "Does want me to have a great life that's always fun and where everything goes my way?" Not necessarily, and if you are a Christian, God promises a life that will include self-denial and suffering. But if you define the question as "Does God want me to have eternal joy that is based on his faithfulness and the good news of his salvation?" Then there is only one answer I can think of: Absolutely. And this is why I talk about happiness so much.

Monday's Mix
Featuring the sports and cuisine sections of Step Onto Liquid

On March 17 of this year, Rafael Palmeiro told Congress, "I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never." Last week, Major League Baseball released reports that Palmeiro has tested positive for steroids and would be suspended 10 games. Palmeiro has since claimed that he has never intentionally taken steroids--the standy excuse for any steroids user. Either way, Palmeiro is either a bad liar or incredibly naive.

Baseball is a wonderful sport. It is fun and relaxing to watch, interesting to follow, and terribly exciting come October. Baseball does not need steroids to make it exciting. It's unfortunate that great players (like Palmeiro) have placed their whole careers under a dark cloud of steroid suspicion. I think the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, should use this instance as leverage to further the extensiveness of steroids testing and the penalties for breaking the rules.

In other sports news, the NCAA announced "a new policy to prohibit NCAA colleges and universities from displaying hostile and abusive racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames or imagery at any of the 88 NCAA championships." In short, the NCAA is not going to allow schools to use Native American mascots during postseason and championship play. This means schools can no longer use mascots like Braves, Indians, or Seminoles.

When I read about this ruling in the Saturday Sports page, I almost spat out my smoothie. In this decision, the NCAA showed liberal thinking at its worst and dropped way off the common sense-o-meter. Other banned names include the Utah Utes and the Illinois Illini. If you notice, both of these schools' nicknames and the schools' states have their root in the same Indian tribe. Should we also make these states change their names because it's "hostile and abusive?" I think not.

***

Yesterday, I enjoyed one final lunch outing with my fellow graduates from Believers Academy. We went to a local Chili's and had a great time thinking about good times gone and the hopes and fears of the future. However, as I tried to choose a meal off the menu, I could not seem to decide between the Chicken Crispers and the BBQ Ranch Cheeseburger. Let's just say I "chose poorly." Someday, I will eat McGriddles again, (for those of you who are unaware of my McGriddles mishap, check out the May 19 entry here) but I don't think I will ever have the Chicken Crispers from Chili's again. It took me the rest of the day to get over feeling queasy. I'll just recommend that if you're going for chicken at Chili's, stick with a sandwich or some pasta/chicken combo.

The lunch outing was still enjoyable, and I have been extremely blessed to be where I have been over the last four years, surrounded by such fine people. Who knows what the next four will bring? But if the next four years are better than the last, they will be pretty sweet.

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt. 5: The road goes ever on and on...

I have had a good week going through Hebrews 11 and reading the stories of many who lived by faith. Studying this chapter has given me much to think about as I head into a new year of school.

Today my thoughts have actually been turned to the first two verses of chapter twelve, which say, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." The "cloud of witnesses" has certainly encouraged me this week, and I have seen some weights and sins that I need to lay aside. But as I have been finishing my thoughts on this section of Scripture, I have been thinking about the idea of running with endurance.

Many times the Christian life is compared to a walk or a race. This implies that it is a journey; this implies progression. We are supposed to run this race with endurance, but what exactly does that mean?

First, I believe it means we must consider the cost of racing in the Christian life. In Luke 14, Jesus said, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?...So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." The Christian life comes with a cost, and we must consider it if we are to run with endurance.

Second, running with endurance implies that we are relying on more than our own strength. If we try to run this race on our own, we will soon find our strength's end. We will become legalistic and try to set up as list of acceptable rules, and when we eventually break them we will be quite discouraged. The only way we can run with the necessary endurance is if we depend on God. If we try and run on our own strength, we will find our path to be a harsh, miserable road; but if we depend of God, we will walk a beautiful path of joy as we walk it with the Lord.

Hebrews 11 tells the story of those who lived by faith, but as you look at the list in this chapter you will notice that even none of these people were perfect. Just look in verse 32: Gideon had trouble with doubting God, Barak also had trouble with courage, Samson stuggled with anger and lust, and David commited murder and adultery. Running the race of the Christian life will bring its struggles, and like these men we will fall; but if we run with endurance and depend on God's strength and his forgiveness, we will overcome.

The road of the race that we run goes ever on, indeed, and it will not stop until Christ returns or calls us home. So let's put aside weights and sins and run with endurance. Let's keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ as we depend on him and remember his words, "But take heart; I have overcome the world."

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt. 4: Moses and...Magnetic Poetry?

Moses was a guy that lived by faith, and he not only "stepped onto liquid," but he also lead Israel through liquid as God parted the Red Sea for the Jews. As I read about Moses in Hebrews 11, I found the following verses to be particularly applicable to young people like myself who are in the process of "growing up":

24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

Years ago while visiting my brother, Bobby, and his wife, Christa, I found three insightful phrases written on their fridge by means of magnetic poetry. I have remembered them ever since, and reading about Moses brought them to mind.

trip not on the life of lust Moses certainly did not. He rejected the worldly ways of Egypt and chose suffering. Moses was obedient even when it was not comfortable or easy.

Society today is desparately trying to trip up young people on the life of lust. John tells us about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, and we know exaclty what he is talking about because we see it in the world every day. Immorality is not treated as taboo but as fun and exciting--the way to live. Society promotes pride as a good, even necessary virtue for success.

As Christians, we must avoid this life of lust, even though it will certainly lead to hardship. As we choose to go a different direction from the world, we will face persecution from without as well as within, as our flesh still seeks the things of the world. How can we press on in light of these struggles? Walk like Moses and...

run after the one The writers of Hebrews tells us that Moses "endured as seeing him who is invisible." He had his eyes fixed on the Lord. Likewise we are commanded to run with endurance and look to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2) Jesus is our perfect high priest who knows our weaknesses and knows our struggles because he faced every temptation, yet he was without sin. He also is our Savior, the one who has set us free from the bondage of sin and the one who forgives us when we fall. And as we look to Jesus we must...

place your vision/stare on eternity Moses had a broad, eternal perspective. He knew the life that Egypt offered him was only full of passing pleasures that would fade away. He looked to the reward. Today, young people like myself must learn from Moses. We must realize that sin's charms are fleeting and many things that seem like "fun" now will only lead to suffering later. But if we choose wisely now, even though it may seem hard, we will eventually reap the benefits. (Galatians 6:7-10) We must also look beyond the future of this life toward the final goal of heaven and the time when Jesus Christ will return. We must realize that all the things we can see will eventually disappear, and the Lord and his people will be all that's left. "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:17)

When Moses had grown up, he made the wise decision of living for the Lord and rejecting the pleasures of sin, even though it meant suffering. I am in that same process of growing up, and I pray that I will live by faith like Moses did, seeing the Invisible One and running after him forever.

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt. 3: Hebrews 11

Pirates are people who live for this life, and more specifically, they live for today. They pillage, plunder, rifle, and loot. They kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. After the pilfering, they fritter away their acquired treasures on food, drink, and pleasurable company as they drink up me hearties, yo ho.

Today we have many people who do not live for today like pirates did, but they still live for this life. They toil long hours to earn big paychecks. Then they put their money into the market so they can reap big dividends, retire before 50, and spend their sunset years playing golf and cruising around on a yacht.

Christians are not supposed to live this way. We are supposed to be laying up treasure in heaven, and we need to realize that as one pirate said, "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." In Hebrews 11, we read about people that did not live for this life, but for eternity.

Abraham obeyed God when he was told to leave his home in Ur for a foreign land. Verse 10 says, "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." Abraham never saw the fulfillment of all of God's promises. In fact, the only property he ever owned in the land of promise was a grave. But Abraham considered himself a stranger and an exile upon the earth. He and his wife had their gaze fixed on the future and heaven. "Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." (Heb. 11:16)

We should be following the example of Abraham. Sometimes I have found this hard to apply to my life. I am still young, I don't have too many possessions, and I don't have a job. However, as I thought about living for eternity, I found that it was very applicable to young people.

I am about to head off to college, where I will be studying and planning for a career. Career planning should be different for Christians than for the world. Money should not be a big factor at all. This is not to say that money or wise stewardship is bad, but we need to realize that this life will soon be over. And when we leave, we take nothing with us.

As we look to the future we should all remember another promise of God: Jesus is coming back. We should live in anticipation of his return, and this expectancy should stir up our hearts for evangelism.

Abraham and Sarah had every opporunity to look back and even return to the life they had known, but they did not. Likewise, we need not look back and become entangled in the world. We need not become separatists who live in seclusion from the world, but we must maintain eternal perspective as we live, breathe, work, eat, love, and die in this world.

Life is but a vapor, and we will not live forever on this earth. Therefore, let us not be pirates who accumulate earthly treasures that will perish, but let us be strangers and exiles heaping up treasure in heaven that will never fade away.

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Pt 2: The Personal Practicality of Faith

"I'm not a preacher this week," said my dad. "I'm a packer."

The moving truck will arrive at Stately Blakey Manor next Friday to haul most of our earthly materials to our new home in California, so that means that it is crunch time for packing. Sometimes entering a room with an intention of packing it can be disheartening as you see piles of unorganized stuff. However, once you get over this feeling you settle into a practical rythym of packing. What is unneeded you throw away and anything else you pack up in a box for the movers.

As Christians we are called to live by faith, and at times this, too, can be disheartening. Yesterday I wrote about the definition of faith as well as the great and faithful God we believe. But today I want to discuss the personal practicality of faith.

As I looked at Abel, Enoch, and Noah, I noticed a common thread of odebience in their lives. Abel obeyed by offering a proper sacrifice. We do not know many specifics about Enoch, but we are told he walked with God for three hundred years. (Gen 5:22) Noah showed obedience by building an ark. Verse six says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

A life of faith can seem like a complicated thing, but it starts on the personal, practical level of seeking God and obeying him. Does our soul thirst for God so that we seek him earnestly? We need to be daily seeking the Lord through his word and prayer, and then obeying what he tells us. We should be radically pursuing holiness in our own lives as we see the revealed will of God in his word.

And this seeking and pursuing must be done by faith. It is easy for us to "suck it up" and try really hard on our own to obey. This might work for a while, but inevitably we will fail. We must seek the Lord by faith, earnestly asking for his help as we obey. Then we must by faith run with endurance no matter how many times we fall.

Now we get to the best part. God rewards those who seek him. James tells us if we draw near to God, he will draw near to us. As we faithfully choose to obey, we will experience the blessings of a deeper faith and know the joys of walking with God. Also, those who obey will invariably have an impact, even after they're gone. Hebrews 11 says of Abel, "And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks."

As I have mentioned before, this verse reminds me of Mr. Rehrer. He is gone now, but he is still speaking because of his faith. One thing I will remember about Mr. Rehrer it how he sought the Lord and was committed to obeying him.

We believe in a great God, one who holds the ages in his hands. Let's seek earnestly to know him more, and then let's radically pursue obedience in our lives. These are the fundamentals of a life of faith.

Step Onto Liquid: Hall of Fame
Hebrews 11

The month of August is always an exciting time for me, usually a time of change. August means back to school, a birthday, and even Survival Camp over the last two summers. This year, August brings even more change than usual. Next weekend, my family will be moving from San Antonio, our home for the past 10 1/2 years, to Santa Clarita in California. The weekend after that, I will be reporting to The Master's College for Week of Welcome.

Because it usually brings change, August also tends to bring a time of reflection for me as I think about the year past and the year that is coming. And as I think about this upcoming year, I have decided to go through Hebrews 11. The awesome chapter contains a list of a "great cloud of witnesses" who lived by faith. These people stepped onto liquid. But before the chapter dives into the lives of these people of faith. The author defines faith in the first few verses.

He calls faith "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." That is why I compare faith to stepping onto liquid--walking on water. By definition, faith has a basis of what is unseen. We cannot see God but we believe in him. If we walk by sight, we are in trouble. This letter was written to Hebrews who were being tempted to live by sight and go back to religious traditions. In analyzing this passage, Jon Courson says this: "'I know it's tempting to go back to that which you can see with your eyes, smell with your nose, and touch with your hands. But don't do it,' the author pleads, 'for now you are called to something entirely different. You are called to walk by faith.'" And faith should encompass all of our lives. While my dad was preaching through this passage, he said, "Faith is all of me embracing all of Christ."

The amazing thing about Christian faith is that even though we believe in things we cannot see, our faith has a sure foundation. Our faith is based in God and his word, which says we have a living hope and an inheritance that cannot fade away, but is reserved for us! (1 Peter 1:3-4)

The third verse gives us more insight into this great God who is so far beyond our comprehension. It says, "By faith we understand that the world were framed by the word of God." (NKJV) The Greek word translated "world" there is "aionas," which can also be translated "ages." This implies that God not only established the world, but he also upholds space and time even now. He's got the whole world in his hands.

As I'm approaching a time of change in my life, these truths are exceedingly comforting. I do not need to worry about the future because God has "the ages" under control. What is the only thing I need to do? Walk by faith. Step onto liquid. Obey what I know the Lord has called me to do through his word. If I am seeking him first and drawing near to him by faith, I know he will take care of everything else.

A book review of
In, But Not Of
by Hugh Hewitt

For a graduation present, I received In, But Not Of by Hugh Hewitt from some old family friends. The book calls itself “A Guide to Christian Ambition and the Desire to Influence the World.” I’m assuming these friends had heard of my Presidential ambitions and thought that this book would be of help along the way.

This book’s premise is clearly made in the introduction. Hewitt says, “The creation and defense of religious liberty requires men and women with power and influence…My view is that Christians of appropriate ability should seek these positions and should use them to protect and extend religious liberty.”

Hewitt spends the vast majority of the rest of his book giving “practical” advice on seeking and acquiring positions of influence. These tips range anywhere from learning the history of Western Civilization to playing golf to avoiding tattoos and debt to choosing a church to…wait for it…starting a blog. He also gives advice on credentials, contacts, and conversation. I found the book to be quite thought provoking, and I, a political studies student, found much of Hewitt’s practical advice helpful.

However, as I read the book, I found its advice a bit off-center. I believe Hewitt makes some pretty big assumptions in his introductory premises. I am not saying that I completely disagree with them; I think they are off the mark. God certainly does call some Christians to these influential positions, but I think Hewitt places an undue emphasis on these positions as the means by which Christians should influence the world.

In one chapter, Hewitt expounds on the importance of solid credentials. He lists twelve rules asserting the importance of credentials. The general idea of the first one is “status matters.” The rest of these rules range from a recommendation to get more than a B.A. to a suggestion to attend different schools for undergraduate and graduate studies. After the list, Hewitt says, “[These rules] are, however, generally true and generally should be followed by individuals aiming to impact their world.” Hewitt then supports his statements on credentials by quoting Philippians 3:5-6, where Paul does indeed list some of his credentials. But Hewitt fails to mention that only a few verses later Paul declares all his credentials to be rubbish—a nice translation for dung.

Paul certainly had impressive credentials, but many influential people in the Bible did not—Peter and Elijah are near the top of my list. I would say credentials are not nearly as important to Christian influence as a commitment to the word of God and the euphoric message it proclaims. If you want to impact the world for Christ, I would recommend your read the book of Acts. The membership of the early church goes from 120 people in a room (Chapter 1) to being accused of “turning the world upside down” (Chapter 17). They did not do this because they were in influential positions. They had this impact because they were committed to the gospel, even to the point of death.

I did find Hugh Hewitt’s book both helpful and though-provoking; he does give some good advice to aspiring young politicians. But if you have the ambition to influence your world for Christ, be radically committed to the Gospel. If you have this commitment, you will—no matter what position you hold—turn your world upside down and have an impact for Christ.

You can visit Hugh Hewitt's blog at www.hughhewitt.com