Freedom for the Captives

Hear this:

“Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.” (Exodus 6:6-8)

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The same applies for us today. Whether we are enslaved to an addiction, the weight of our past, fear of our future, or our own fallenness and frailty, God speaks life and promises freedom. YAHWEH, the One who breathed the stars into existence, the One who simply uttered His voice and literally 'everything' came into existence, the One who, when we were so covered in sin, at our worst, "while we were God's enemies", He died for us, rose from the grave, defeated death, and gave us victory. This very same God sees your affliction, and He hears your groaning, and now He promises to act.

So don't give up fighting. Don't give up trying. You WILL be free very soon.
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"But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”" (Exodus 14:13-14)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC0Z8htH02Q

In the End, You Still Have God

In a world that is so troublesome, so hurtful and fallen, sometimes it is easy to lose hope. Jobs are lost, food is scarce, wars rage, disasters come, sickness strikes, and loved ones die. It's enough to make us cry, enough to make us wonder if life is truly worth it. If we let this world paint a picture of what life is, it turns out dark, cold, gloomy, and sad.

But beloved, God is going to be there through it all and He's never going to leave you! He's going to be a Father to love you, a Shelter amidst a shifting world, a Rock in times of disaster, and a Comforter in times of sadness. He's promised to wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). He's there to hold you and tell you everything's going to be OK.

You see, these things happen to us, and we have no control over them. But God does not rejoice in them.. no, rather He hurts when you hurt, and He cries when you cry. But He's strong, strong enough to pull you up out of the pain and give you hope.

So don't fret beloved, though this world shifts and shakes, God is a solid rock in the earthquake.
Don't worry, don't fear, God's going to wipe away the tears.

This little rhyme may be cheesy, but it is oh so true. He loves you, and He will never leave you.

Two men, two paths...

Two men strode, each down a different path

One pursued mercy, the other pursued wrath

Though one found nothing, the other found plenty

In this cold world, so dark and so dusty

But then came the time to do this one thing

To confront the life-giving Lord, the Almighty King

He is also the Judge, the Ruler of all

Each was not sure whether he'd stand or fall

One said Lord forgive me my sins,

The other said I won't partake in his childish whims

To one the King said I forgive you, you're saved

To the other He said, go to the place of eternal flame

And so it turns out that mercy was brought

Unto us sinners, so wretched and lost

So be careful what you say, and be careful what you do
You will have to answer one day, to Him who created you

But to those who trust, in His glorious name
no more will you be controlled by your fear and shame

You will be shown wonderful things, everlasting love,
eternal mercy and grace, from the glorious throne above

No more worries, no more fears
give them to Him, He'll wipe your tears

So rejoice!!

He loves you sinner, more than you know
He died to show you love, so that grace could flow

The Gospel

I fear that in the Western culture, very often the Gospel is stripped of it's "goodness" and we as a result lose a sense of just how good it is. What I mean is this: the word "Gospel" literally means "Good News" or "Good Story". This doesn't just mean that it is news that isn't bad, but rather news that is absolutely and utterly good, news that should cause you to smile and laugh with excitement and joy even to the point of tears.

You should be so happy because the news presented in the Old Testament is and always has been primarily, that we are sinners, we once had it good and had a good relationship with God but we lost it, and we are rebellious enemies of the Most High. However, God had enough of it, He saw our suffering, and He decided to do something about it: GOD became Man. As Christ, God came to show us the Way, which is Jesus, the only way to Heaven. God came to teach us the Truth, that we are not alone, never beyond hope, and that He loves us. God shined His Light into our dark, fallen world so we could see His face and come home.

You are SO LOVED!!

Also, this blog post kind of reminded me of this video.
(Warning: this video is extremely encouraging, uplifting, and above all: true. Before watching videos of this nature please prepare your ears for truth, your eyes for tears, and your heart for worship.)

Wide Awake and Scared to Death

It all started one night, my mind racing and thoughts flowing. I couldn't stop thinking! Even though my body was physically exhausted i just couldn't fall asleep. I tried and tried, then 6 hours later after feeling like a zombie i gave up. I guess sleep just wasn't for me. After one week of this, i thought: "too much sugar" :P. After two weeks, maybe it was stress. But the third week is when my life changed. I had my first severe panic attack that debilitated and left me extremely anxiety-ridden for the next several days. I now knew something was very very wrong. But to the extent I did not know, and if I did know, I would have buckled in, and held a little tighter in preparation for the bumpy road that lay ahead the next two months.

Time went on, and the attacks got worse and more frequent. They came at random, and I had absolutely no control over them. Now these attacks are something else. When they happen I feel like the world is ending and I can't stop it. My heart races and I can barely breath. It feels like at any moment I could pass out. Sometimes they'll last for 5 minutes, sometimes they'll last for 5 hours, but regardless, it absolutely drains me and terrifies me. Couple that with little to no sleep each night, I was a piping hot mess. But the attacks were the easy part, what really did a number on me was the way I felt afterward. Most of the time for several days in a row life was a blur. I couldn't focus on anything. I couldn't think straight or even complete a single thought. Life felt like a dream that made no sense and I couldn't wake up. I struggled to grasp reality and I couldn't connect with anything all. I felt like I was losing my mind. I wanted to cry, but there were no tears left. I wanted to sleep, but there was no rest. I wanted to give up, but that was not an option.

These last two months have been hell. Every waking moment has been a struggle. But it has been bearable, because I haven't been alone. If it weren't for my friends and family, I'd still be laying in that bed, trying to fall asleep. Some friends were there to remind me that "everything is going to be alright". Some were there to listen to me. And some were there to offer a shoulder to cry on. But all of them were there to remind me that no matter what happens in life, no matter the dark valley we go through, and even when all hope is lost, God has a plan because HE LOVES US! He will never forsake us.

Truthfully, I still do struggle with these things, and they are getting worse. I don't know what the future holds or how these attacks will progress, and I don't know the next step I'm supposed to take, I just know I have to take one. Just because I'm scared and things are hard doesn't mean I give up. It means I have to cling to God right now more than ever, because He is the ONLY One who can get me through this.

I write this for anyone who is struggling. Whether it's insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, addiction, fear, pain, a dirty past, a scary future, loss of a loved one, or a debilitating injury or disease. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! You have many people, who are going through this stuff with you. You have people who care for you and are praying for you even if you don't realize it. And most importantly, you have God. 

He's never going to abandon you. 
He's never going to let you go. 
He's never going to deny you a shoulder to cry on.
And He is never going to be indifferent about your tears.
He loves you.
He will cry with you.
He will get you through this.
Dont give up.
Press on and look to God.

God bless you all!
Much love,
Tom

This is War

Ephesians 6:10-18

This is war. You cannot give up or let up for a second. You must continue on and drive forward. You have to be taking ground at all times or else you will be losing ground to the enemy. You must be vigilant, prepared, and able to face any challenge that may present itself. I must warn you however, your enemy is not out for revenge, he is purely blood-thirsty and seeks your destruction. If you become lax, slowed, or distracted for a single moment, you have already lost that battle. Your enemy is like a lion, and when you let up, he pounces (1 Peter 5:8). Welcome to the war, welcome to the Christian life.

I write this not to scare anybody, but rather to warn those who enter the arena of truth and eternity. It is rough, and the battle is hard, but it is all worth it. Think about it, you have been personally selected by the Creator of the universe to bear His Image (Genesis 1:27), been chosen by the King of all Kings to represent Him (2 Corinthians 5:20), and commissioned by the only One to ever defeat death to go and show others that 'impossible' is not a word (Mark 16:15-18). So go forth, and take ground for your God. You are not alone in the fight. You have fellow Christians fighting alongside you. But more importantly, He is with you and He will "never forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6).