tylerramsbey Christian Life, Spiritual Warfare, Temptation

The Invisible War

theinvisiblewar

If you are a Christian, you are enlisted into an invisible war. When it comes to warfare, we need to develop tactics in order to be successful in the various skirmishes we will encounter each day. In order to better equip you for this, we will be spending time over the next few weeks to discuss spiritual warfare.

One of the most insightful passages on spiritual warfare was written by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:10-20. In the beginning of this section, Paul briefs us on the type of enemies we are facing –

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12

Specifically, I see three principles in this passage:

1. We are in a battle.
Many people believe the lie that when one becomes a Christian, life gets easier. The opposite is true the majority of the time. When you claim the name of Christ, there is a beast – his name is Satan – who wants to utterly crush you. His goal is to destroy every ounce of faith that resides within your soul. If you refuse to fight against this enemy, you will be thrown into ruin and torment.

2. The war is invisible.
The cohort of demons we fight against are entirely “other”. They rule over the unseen world which is all around us. Although we cannot see the physical appearance of our enemies, the effects of their warfare are visible in the destruction of churches and Christians around the world. They are fallen angels which have been cast down from the throne room of God to wreak havoc on the earth for a limited amount of time.

3. The enemy is incredibly powerful.
If we attempt to wage this warfare in our own strength, we will be utterly demolished by the great power of our enemies. As fallen angels, these evil spirits wield immense power to crush mankind. Those who foolishly rise up against the demonic world without the power and presence of Christ are destined to be annihilated by the mighty powers which rule the unseen world.

Over the next few weeks, we will be tackling the following questions:

  • How do we successfully wage war against this enemy?
  • What kind of weapons are available to us since the enemy is invisible?
  • What are specific tactics we can use to wage war offensively?
  • How exactly does the enemy fight against us? What weapons do they use?

My prayer is that this series would strengthen your faith, equip you for battle, and enable you to persevere in the midst of brutal, spiritual attacks against your faith.

Enjoy the post? Be sure to check out Part 2 – The Battle for Your Mind.

tylerramsbey Christian Life, Ministry

Jesus and the Crowd

Jesus and the crowd

I hate large crowds.

Yup, I know that is pretty ironic since I am a pastor. I actually do not mind being up front speaking to a large crowd but I hate being in the middle of a bunch of people. What I REALLY hate is if there is a large crowd of people and they are all trying to get my attention. If there are more than a few people talking to me at once, I am bound to shut everyone out.

Thankfully, Jesus is not like me.

In Mark 6, Jesus’ spirit is crushed as he hears about John the Baptist being beheaded. In the same scene, his disciples return to him after a long, grueling day of ministry. In wisdom, Jesus instructs his disciples to go with him to a solitary place in order to find rest. Unfortunately, the crowd has keen eyesight and interrupts Jesus and his disciples while they are trying to rest and mourn in peace.

How would you respond?

I would be angry, impatient, frustrated, and overall disgusted by the crowd.

Let’s see how Jesus responds:

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” – Mark 6:34

Specifically Jesus…

  • SAW the crowd.
  • Had COMPASSION on the crowd.
  • And PROVIDED for the crowd.

I want to encourage you to view yourself in light of Jesus’ actions and allow the Holy Spirit to change you in the following three areas:

1. Slow down so you can truly see people.
Often, when I am interrupted by someone, I try to brush them off as quickly as possible. Instead of looking at the person as an image bearer of God, I see them as an annoying distraction. If the person is “needy” then I definitely try to steer clear of being in a conversation with them because I feel as if they will capitalize on my time.

Not so with Jesus.

In the midst of his grieving, Jesus SEES the crowd. He puts himself in their position and realizes they are like “sheep without a shepherd”. His intense love for people – ALL people – motivates him to see the crowd with love.

2. Seeing should become compassion.
It is one thing to slow down long enough to see people as beautiful image bearers – It’s another challenge to have compassion on them. Compassion is defined as, “concern for the sufferings of others.” All of us would claim we are compassionate people. Unfortunately, our actions betray our speech.

Having compassion for another person is a supernatural work. We are, by nature, selfish people. In order to TRULY have compassion for those who are suffering, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us see people through His eyes. Only when we gain God’s perspective can we have compassion on the crowd.

3. Compassion should become provision.
In this verse, we see that Jesus fed the crowds’ spiritually hungry souls through teaching them. A few verses later, we see that Jesus furnishes their appetites with physical food by multiplying bread and fish. One test on whether or not you are truly exercising compassion for others in your life is if you are willing to provide for them.

James, Jesus’ brother, explains this concept powerfully in James 2:15-16:
“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

What good is it, if you claim to be a compassionate person, if you do nothing to comfort those who are suffering?

Often the “interruptions” in your life are opportunities for you to be used in powerful ways by God. If you neglect to open your eyes to the hurting people around you and instead allow your heart to be filled with selfishness, you will NOT experience the abundant life Jesus promises. Ultimately, your time does not belong to you. Everything, including each minute of your day, is an undeserved gift from the sovereign hand of God.

When you are interrupted today by a hurting person, follow in the steps of Jesus: SEE them as an image bearer of God, have COMPASSION on them in their suffering, and PROVIDE for them in the midst of their neediness.

tylerramsbey Christian Life

The God of the Ordinary

God of the orindary

When we think about God, our minds naturally drift to extraordinary events and supernatural power. There is nothing bad about this. All throughout Scripture, we see the Lord of the universe bending natural laws to flood the world with His incredible love.

Many people are desperately hungry to experience a supernatural move from God. We buy conference tickets, attend megachurches, go on mission trips, and try everything we possibly can to “experience” Him. First of all, let me state that none of those are inherently wrong. Conferences are good, large churches are good, mission trips are good. The flawed thinking presents itself when we forget to look for God in the ordinariness of life.

If you want to catch a glimpse of the God who reigns above the universe, open your eyes to the God of the ordinary!

1. God is revealed in creation.
Ultimately, everything that is created points to the beauty of a creator. When you marvel at an incredible piece of music, you gain a sense of awe towards the artist. In the same way, as we behold the indescribable beauty of creation, our hearts should be moved to a place of worship towards the God who made all things.

King David reflects on this truth in Psalm 19:1-4
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the earth.”

As you feel the soft breeze wash over your face in the morning or gaze at the beauty of a sunset, let yourself be reminded of the Creator. Creation is the work of HIS hands and it is in these moments of awareness that we experience God. Take your eyes off your smart phone and look at the beautiful theater of life our God has placed around us!

2. God is revealed in people.
Scripture teaches that people are made in the very image of God for the purpose of reflecting his beauty and glory to the world. Every time you look into the eyes of a person, you are seeing someone whom God personally formed and knit together. When you experience the love of a spouse or the bond of a friendship, it is pointing to a greater love and stronger bond found in knowing God.

In C.S. Lewis’ classic book, The Weight of Glory, he puts it this way:
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”

Take time in your day to actually SEE people. Contemplate on the fact that each person you come into contact with is a masterpiece formed by the Creator.

3. God is revealed in Scripture.
All of us yearn to hear God’s voice. Yet so often, our Bibles (if we have one) are covered with dust in the back of a neglected bookshelf. We often forget about one of the greatest gifts the Creator has endowed on His people. The Bible is a beautiful story of God’s love for sinful humanity.

Not only is the Bible a beautiful piece of literature, it is the Word of God. Scripture is not a lifeless, religious textbook. God presently speaks and encourages people through the power of His Word.

If you want to meet with the Creator, spend time on a daily basis soaking in the presence of His Spirit by meditating upon the Scriptures.

The God of the Universe desires to speak to us far more than we are willing to listen. I would encourage you to live each “ordinary” day with eyes wide open, catching glimpses of God in creation, people, and Scripture.

 

tylerramsbey Christian Life

Holy Preparation: Three Ways to Prepare for Worship

holypreparation

I can vividly remember the preparation that went into taking the ACT College Assessment test when I was in high school. This was a grueling, four hour test which I had prepared for months ahead of time. Leading up to the testing day, I dedicated hours studying the material, taking practice tests, and preparing myself mentally. The night before the test, I forced myself to fall asleep early so I could perform to the best of my ability on test day.

If we spend this much time preparing for a test, which is of no eternal significance, how much more then should we prepare our hearts to hear from God on Sunday mornings?

Many of us forget the incredible opportunity we have on a weekly basis to gather with God’s people for worship, fellowship, and teaching. We tend to oversleep on Sunday morning and when we DO make it to church it is after spewing verbal vomit on our family members due to being woken up early. Once we arrive, we are consistently distracted by the endless barrage of thoughts that assault our minds at any given time. We leave in anger and frustration due to the hardness of our hearts and the deceitfulness of sin.

In order for corporate gatherings of worship to bear fruit in our lives, we need to practice holy preparation:

1. Go to sleep EARLY on Saturday night.
Thousand of studies have shown the averse effect sleep deprivation has on our bodies. Specifically, lack of sleep is a serious detriment to the healthy functioning of our minds –

“Lack of sleep interferes with your ability to concentrate and learn new things. It can negatively impact both short-term and long-term memory. It gets in the way of your decision-making process and stifles creativity. Your emotions are also affected, making you more likely to have a short temper and mood swings. Overall cognitive function is impaired.” (HeathLine)

When you come to church with your only energy coming from the coffee you hurriedly grab, you are setting yourself up for disaster. If you get a healthy amount of sleep, I can promise you will find church far more fulfilling and effective in making war against your sin.

2. Meditate on the passage or concept that will be shared.
In most churches (if not all of them) you at least have a general idea of what the pastor will be speaking on. Use this information to your advantage! If it is a specific section of Scripture, spend Friday and Saturday memorizing and meditating upon the verses. If your church is in a certain series, use a topical Bible (or Google!) and study the concept on your own.

If you do not know this information, give your pastor a call a few days before Sunday. Pastors LOVE to talk and I can GUARANTEE he will be excited to share with you what he is preaching on. This will greatly encourage your pastor as he spends time studying the passage!

3. Wake up EARLY on Sunday morning to pray.
Wait… You are telling me that I need to go to sleep early AND wake up early? Yup. I understand this can be incredibly difficult. With that being said, if you had an important job interview or test to take, you would do just that so quit with the excuses!

I recommend waking up and giving yourself thirty extra minutes (at the very least) in order to allow God’s Spirit to prepare your heart for church. In this time, I recommend confessing any known sin for it is the “pure in heart who will see God.” You can also lay down all of your burdens, anxieties, and worries in God’s presence – Trusting that He cares for you and is FAR more powerful than you could ever imagine. This will enable you to have a still heart and quiet mind to receive from the Holy Spirit during the worship gathering.

I can assure you that if you practice these three disciplines on a weekly basis, God will speak powerfully into your life through corporate worship.

What would YOU add to this list? Is there anything specific you do in order to get your mind and heart ready for church? Leave a comment and let me know!

tylerramsbey Christian Life

Walk With the Wise

walkwithwise

We are currently in a series called #WISDOM at The Rescue Church. We are using this series to study the remarkable book of Proverbs. Proverbs was written by the wisest man who has ever lived (next to Jesus), named King Solomon. Proverbs consists of short phrases with profound meaning – similar to a Twitter feed!

This past week, Chase Riber preached on Proverbs 13:20:
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

If you show me your friends, I can show you your future! Who you allow into the inner circle of your life matters. Chase broke this down by asking if you have the right THEY around you. If you want to walk with the wise, you should find the following characteristics in those closest to you –

THEY are TOUGH (Prov. 17:17; 27:17)
The people in your life MUST be tough in multiple ways. First of all, they need to be able to walk with you through tough times. All of us have seasons in life when we experience profound anguish. Some call this the dark night of the soul, others simply called it the wall. You will reach a point in your life (multiple times for most of us) that you are utterly broken and you feel as if God has abandoned you. This has been the experience of saints throughout the centuries.

You NEED friends who are tough enough to endure these dark times.

Second, your friends need to be tough WITH you. They need to have the courage and ability to hold you accountable to Scripture. All of us are blind at times to our own sin and hypocrisy, following in the steps of the Pharisees. In order to grow in holiness and purity, we need friends who are not afraid to call us out in our blindness.

THEY are HONEST (Eph. 4:25)
Those closest to you need to walk in honesty and integrity. If you are surrounding yourself with people who consistently lie, exaggerate, and puff themselves up – You WILL follow suit. Your close friends need to be honest with you, in regards to YOUR sin and their OWN sin.

Our natural tendency is to shroud ourselves in secrecy. Our anger flares up any time we feel our privacy is threatened. If you want to walk with the wise, you need to sacrifice this impulse. Your life needs to be opened up in order for God to use your friends to sanctify you.

THEY are ENCOURAGING (Heb. 3:13; 10:24)
The majority of people are overwhelmed with a constant stream of negativity. Many of our own thoughts consist of condemnation and judgment. Our self-talk is a barrage of remarks we say to ourselves that would be considered slander if we spoke them out loud to other people. Satan uses our cynical thoughts in an attempt to deceive us about our true identity in Christ.

Your friends need to encourage you with their words, actions, and conduct! The power of LIFE and DEATH is in the tongue; are your friends speaking life into you or death? Your friends have profound influence over your outlook of life – Choose friends who will use this incredible ability for your encouragement!

THEY are YIELDED (Matt. 22:37; 1 Cor. 11:1)
This is by far the most importance characteristic that should be evident in your friends’ lives. The lives of your THEY should be ones that yield in humility to the God of the universe. The lives of your friends should be in submission to God’s authority.

If your friends are in a constant state of rebellion towards God, you will follow them into rejecting Him for all eternity.

All of the other characteristics – toughness, encouraging, and honesty – should be the fruit of a life yielded to God. Practically, they should be exercising these practical steps for spiritual growth on a regular basis. If those closest to you are yielding to God, YOU will become wise.

T.H.E.Y = TOUGH, HONEST, ENCOURAGING, YIELDED

What about you? Are YOU the right THEY in the lives of your friends? Do you display these characteristics? I believe all of us fall short in at least one of these areas. Personally, my unrelenting sarcasm causes me to fall short consistently when it comes to encouraging those around me.

What change do YOU need to make? Submit to the Word of God and begin today. 

tylerramsbey Christian Life

Practical Steps for Spiritual Growth

The past year has been absolutely incredible. I have had the amazing privilege of pioneering and launching the Garretson Campus of The Rescue Church. One of the primary reasons we launch new campuses is to reach those who are far from God. Specifically, we do not seek transfer growth (growing via members of other churches coming). We intentionally seek to preach Christ to those who are currently separated from Him.

As a result, we have seen many people either commit their lives to Jesus for the first time or re-commit their lives to Him. Practically, this calls for discipleship in the church. We have to purposely develop these new Christians so that they are firmly rooted in the Gospel.

Whether you are a new Christian or have been following Jesus for decades, below are some practical steps for YOU to grow in your faith:

Set apart a time for Bible reading and prayer DAILY!
If you do NOT want to grow as a Christian, do not open the Bible on your own! Unfortunately, this is the route many Christians take. We have a tendency to believe going to church once a week and having a pastor teach us the Bible is sufficient enough for spiritual growth.

YOU NEED TO READ THE BIBLE ON YOUR OWN!!

Yes, I know it can be intimidating but there are many tools to help you along the way. I would recommend the following –

As you figure out a reading process that works best for you, you also need to set apart a specific time each day. You need to MAKE time to be in the Word of God. Make it as an appointment and keep it as strictly as you would anything else – It is INFINITELY more important than any human meeting you could possibly have!

Be INVOLVED with a local church!
I am disgusted with arrogant Christians who claim they do not need the local church. They cloak their pride behind slick spiritual phrases and use the imperfections of the church to excuse their disobedience. No, the church is not perfect which is EXACTLY why you would fit right in!

The following activities do NOT replace the local church:

  • Having coffee (or lunch, or bible study, etc.) with your Christian friends.
  • Watching church online or on your television.
  • Reading the Bible and worshiping on your own.

All of those things mentioned above are GOOD but they are NOT a replacement for your local church. In the future I will write a post on why those things are not a biblical church. Suffice it to say, Paul makes it abundantly clear in the pastoral epistles that the church has an organized structure consisting of ordained elders, qualified deacons, and the sacraments (communion, baptism).

DISCLAIMER: If you live in a community that is hostile towards Christianity and the only way for you to meet is outside of a church structure, that is a different scenario. If you live in the West (which most reading this do) BE OBEDIENT to Hebrews 10:25 by committing to an imperfect, local church.

Share what you are learning!
As Christians we are similar to sponges. As we study Scripture, spend time in prayer, and learn from qualified teachers, we absorb information and application. As we practice these spiritual disciplines daily, we need to “squeeze” ourselves and, like a sponge, allow the information to flow out of us. This does not mean you need to become a preacher; you simply need to encourage others by sharing what you are learning.

This happens informally as you talk with your family and friends. Ask your friends what they have been learning lately through God’s Word and listen to what they have to say. Afterwards, you can share with them what God is teaching you. This process of mutual teaching and encouragement will enable you to grow both in your faith and love for others.

One of the ways I do this is by writing blog posts! Heck, if you have the gift of writing it would be an honor to have YOU feature on tylerramsbey.com! 

These are only a few of the ways you can grow in your faith. What are some of the disciplines YOU practice in your own life that God has used to shape you? Let me know by leaving a comment!

tylerramsbey Christian Life, Ladder of Humility

Radical Honesty

radicalhonesty

If you have not read the first four posts in this series, be sure to read them below:
Ladder of Humility (Part One)
Ladder of Humility (Part Two)
Ladder of Humility (Part Three)
Ladder of Humility (Part Four)

Imagine this scenario: You are sitting in the waiting room of a hospital, looking over a magazine. As you look up, you see a man with a bloody stump where his arm use to be. The medical team rushes out to help him but he acts as if nothing is wrong. The blood is dripping onto the carpet but he hides all signs of pain or worry. He does not want to make others uncomfortable and refuses to seek help because of pride.

Friends, this is a picture of our churches every Sunday morning.

We shroud ourselves in secrecy – even to our own families.

The church is to be a place of radical honesty. A place where people freely confess their sins, weaknesses, and brokenness to one another without fear of judgment. The local church is to be a sanctuary and hospital for sinners.

ladderofhumility

The fifth step on the Ladder of Humility is, “Radical honesty to others about your weaknesses/faults.” The church is to be counter-cultural. Unfortunately in this area we have been INFECTED by the culture instead of AFFECTING the culture. There needs to be a radical change in our hearts and minds; we must kill our pride and be honest about our shortcomings, sins, and weaknesses with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul describes this in Ephesians 4:15:
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”

I see two points that Paul makes in this passage –

  1. Radical honesty must begin and end with love. Honesty should characterize our churches and lives because we love one another. Part of this love is accepting others despite their faults and shortcomings. We are to accept one another, even when we screw up, because God has accepted us in Christ Jesus when we DEFINITELY did not deserve it.
  2. Radical honesty will result in spiritual maturity. Many would agree the church in the west is far too shallow. We focus on numbers to the detriment of true spiritual growth. We are content as long the seats are full and the offering is strong each week. Radical honesty challenges our egotistical comfort because it molds us to look more like Jesus.

Remove your mask. I know it will be painful because pride dies hard. Pursue radical honesty in regards to your faults and weaknesses. Extend acceptance to others who are broken.

The Christian life is a journey and the church is to be a hospital where people come to find hope and healing.

You and I do NOT have it all together so let’s quit deceiving ourselves and come to the Great Shepherd with all of our brokenness and sin.

Why do YOU think it is so hard for people to be truly honest with one another? Leave a comment and let me know!

tylerramsbey Christian Life

How To Suffer Well

darknightofthesoul

In the midst of intense suffering, it is nearly impossible to keep our eyes on Jesus. Our prayer life begins to feel robotic and weak. Even when we are gathered together with our church, we feel distant from both God and others. Some refer to these times as the dark night of the soul.

Nearly two thousand years ago, an early follower named Peter wrote about this experience. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, he encourages us with the following words:

“Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation of His glory.” – 1 Peter 4:12-13

1. Expect Suffering.
Peter does not say IF the “fiery ordeal comes” but WHEN. If we do not properly prepare ourselves with a theology of suffering, we will be burned up and burned out by trials. There is a false teaching that has run rampant, especially in the western church. These so-called teachers twist Scripture and deceive believers by concluding that God will grant us lives free of suffering because He loves us. This teaching shows a complete disregard for the Word of God.

Friends, you and I suffer BECAUSE God loves us.

Intense times of trial and suffering are NOT unusual. It is something that comes upon every Christian. When you claim the name of Jesus, you receive a target on your back. There is an enemy of your soul who wants to see you destroyed. But take heart, the One who is in you is FAR GREATER than the enemy!

2. Suffering Will Test You.
Suffering rips away every illusion of control that we hold in our minds. It is easy for us to become dangerously comfortable with our lives. We check “religion” off our to-do list each morning as we read the Scriptures in a stale, lifeless fashion. We go to church once a week, sing a few songs, listen to someone teach, and believe we are growing in our faith.

Suffering will reveal to you whether or not your faith is genuine. I promise you that empty religion will not sustain your soul when darkness clouds your mind and emotions.

Yes, you will have doubts as you suffer. You may become angry at God. You will also feel as if God has abandoned you at times. Those are the godly reactions we read about in the Psalms – all of those are expected. Yet, if your faith is shaken to the core and you leave the experience concluding that God is neither good nor real, your belief in God is based on the quicksand of circumstances. As these circumstances change, your faith is either strengthened or demolished.

If this is where you are at, cry out to God for mercy, grace, and salvation. You CANNOT save yourself, regardless of how many religious duties you perform. Salvation is a supernatural work of God – He is the Author, Sustainer, and Perfecter.

3. Rejoice As You Suffer.
Easier said than done, right? Peter’s command for us to rejoice as we face the heart-wrenching effects of suffering makes absolutely no sense to our fleshly minds. Our rejoicing is deeply rooted with our sharing in the sufferings of Jesus. The greatest experience any human being can attain is fellowship with the Living God.

Suffering draws each one of us to the Garden of Gethsemane. Although there may be deep anguish, blood-soaked sweat, and loud cries, we are in the presence of a God who loves us.

Friends, we rejoice in the midst of suffering because there is NOTHING greater than experiencing God.

Paul, a leader of the early church, wrote a beautiful passage describing our pain. One look at Paul and you would see the visible scars where his flesh had been ripped out of his body repeatedly because of his faith. Paul had been ostracized by his community, rejected by the culture, and tortured by the government. Yet as Paul reflects on his life, he teaches us:

“Our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.” – 1 Cor. 4:17

Paul suffered far more than us. Yet, he describes his own anguish as momentary and light because he was viewing suffering through the lens of eternity. I can promise you that Paul does not regret even one trial he experienced because he knew that our trials cause us to await with eager expectation the coming of our Messiah.

Friends, expect to be tested by suffering. In the midst of the blinding pain, remember: It is not even worth comparing to the eternal weight of glory God has prepared for those He loves.

tylerramsbey Christian Life, Leadership, Ministry

Four INCREDIBLE Websites

Four INCREDIBLE Websites

If you want to grow in your life, you need to enter into conversations with a variety of people. We do this best through relationships, books, podcasts and blogs. I feed both my soul and mind on a daily basis through a variety of different mediums. The four websites below have encouraged and strengthened me in both my faith and leadership.

1. Desiring God
Desiring God is the primary teaching ministry of John Piper. This website hosts many resources to help you grow in your faith. From free books to an “Ask Pastor John” podcast, there is something for EVERYONE.

The blog is excellent both in content and quality. There are a variety of experts who write about many different subjects. Each time I open up my browser to Desiring God, my mind is renewed by the solid teaching of Scripture. The content on this website WILL inspire you to desire God more than you currently do.

2. The Gospel Coalition
Similar to Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition hosts a large library of resources. There is a focus on ending “Theological Famine” with a plethora of ministry training that is offered for FREE!

The blog alone is organized into six different sections:

Each one of these sections is filled with helpful content from trusted people!

3. Michael Hyatt
As you probably guessed by the name, this website is hosted by Michael Hyatt. Hyatt is the former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. Since then, he has helped people build personal platforms. He is a sought after speaker and writer at a variety of conferences and publications.

What is incredible is that Michael Hyatt gives away so many FREE resources. His blog and podcast is focused on helping YOU “Win at work. Succeed in life.” All of Hyatts content is written from a Christian perspective – I HIGHLY recommend Michael Hyatt’s website ESPECIALLY if you are a leader.

4. Jon Sanders
This website is hosted by one of my personal friends and someone I have the honor of working with. Jon Sanders is the Lead (and founding) Pastor of The Rescue Church; A multi-site church with four physical campuses and one online campus. There are many different resources on Jon’s website. You can watch past messages, read his blog, and even listen to the Small Town, Big Church podcast which I was featured on a few weeks ago!

I have learned A LOT from Jon personally and through his website. I highly recommend subscribing to his website, ESPECIALLY for the podcasts.

What websites have you found helpful? I would love to check them out. Let me know by leaving a comment!

tylerramsbey Christian Life

Four Benefits of Sickness

fourbenefitsofsickness

I am currently recovering from a horrible sore throat and head cold. In between coughing fits, blowing my nose, and trying to have enough energy to work, I realized that sickness is included in the “all things” of Romans 8:28.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Below are four ways God utilizes sickness as He molds us to look more like Jesus:

  1. Sickness reminds us that we are not gods.

It is in our nature to try to defy the limitations God has placed upon us. This first happened in the Garden of Eden – Adam and Eve were tempted to be “like God” (Gen. 3:5). They were not content submitting to His authority but instead bucked against his clear Word in order to overcome the “limitations” placed upon them by God.

If you are like me, I tend to work far more than I should. I also try to please WAY too many people in an effort to feel successful. In the midst of all of this, I take upon myself project after project. Caffeine, my drug of choice, promises me that I can be like God and work without feeling tired or sleepy.

Sickness FORCES us to slow down, rest, and understand that the world continues without us. You and I are not God. We have limitations. True freedom is found in embracing our limitations and weaknesses and resting solely on the grace and power of God.

  1. Sickness reminds us that we are sinners in need of grace.

Our bodies fail and become weak because of sin. Before the darkness of sin choked life out of the world, there was no death nor sickness. As a result of sin, all of creation (including you and me) groans out of pain and misery. Paul refers to our bodies as temporary dwellings – they are not made to last forever (2 Cor. 5:1). Beginning at age 25, your body literally begins to die.

Sickness reminds us that death is the end of all mankind. Rich and poor, good and evil, famous and overlooked – ALL of us will die and face judgment as a result of our sin. Sickness is a constant reminder that we live in a broken world and we need to fix our eyes on the only One who has defeated death, sickness, and shame.

We become sick because we are rebels in need of discipline, narcissists in need of humility, and sinners in DESPERATE need of grace.

  1. Sickness reminds us that we are dependent upon God for EVERYTHING.

I don’t know about you but I tend to take my good health for granted. I am hardly ever sick and when I do get sick, a minor cold feels as if I have been infected with a deadly virus that forces me to languish in bed for hours (Or I am just a wimp, I’ll let you decide).

Over the past few days, I have seen myself cry out to God for strength and wisdom FAR MORE than when I am healthy. This week has been one of my busiest weeks over the past few months and I trust that I became sick for a reason. If a sparrow does not fall to the ground outside of the Father’s will then we do not get sick outside of His will.

I am sure we all acknowledge intellectually that we are dependent upon God for every ounce of strength and fruitfulness but do we TRULY believe it in our hearts? Practically, I give lip service to my dependence upon God but live as if EVERYTHING is up to me.

In our sinfulness, we have a tendency to think we can do a better job at being God than He can. Needless to say, that is a VERY foolish place to be.

  1. Sickness reminds us of the Second Coming.

Sickness and death will NOT get the last word. In this life, we only get a small taste of what God is preparing for those whom He loves. Jesus crushed the ugly head of sin, death, and sickness when He rose victoriously from the grave. As we experience the weakness and apparent hopelessness of life, we can find rest in God’s promise of a New Creation as revealed to John in Revelation 22:

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.” – Revelation 22:1-3

Jesus wins. Sin is defeated. Satan is crushed. Sickness is demolished.

Put your hope in God and rest in HIS promises.

How has God used sickness in YOUR life to grow you closer to Him? Leave a comment let me know!