tylerramsbey Christian Life

Slavery to Freedom

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So often we find ourselves imprisoned to bondage, addiction, and hopelessness. The good news is we do not have to stay there! We serve a God who delivers his people through mighty acts of power. In this message I share how to break from the prison of sin you so often find yourself trapped in!

I pray this message encourages your faith and deepens your love for Jesus.

(If you are reading this in your e-mail, you will need to go to the actual page to see the video)

 

What did you find most encouraging or convicting from the message? Let me know by leaving a comment!

tylerramsbey Christian Life

If We Were Having Coffee…

coffee

I am going to begin participating in the #weekendcoffeeshare on WordPress. These are going to be special posts going along with the theme shared by the Daily Post –
“Each weekend, bloggers publish posts about what they’d say to their readers if they were sitting down together over a cup of coffee. Some bloggers do it every weekend, while others dip in and out.”

As a point of clarification, I hate coffee. So while you are drinking your coffee, I would probably have a soda or fruit smoothie.. Just saying.

While I sip on my virtual Mountain Dew, I want to share with you a few things God has been teaching me this past week:

1. Pride is subtle yet exceedingly dangerous.
I am preaching this Sunday at The Rescue Church. Teaching the Bible is one of the ways God has gifted me. I absolutely love spending time reading slowly and meditatively through the Scriptures while pondering how God’s timeless Word applies to our lives today. I will be teaching on Exodus 14:10-18 and I am absolutely PUMPED to be doing so!

But can I make a confession?

Often I turn my gifting into my god and seek to worship it.

I released a Facebook status on Monday sharing that I had the honor of preaching on Sunday. Rather than getting one “like” because I forced my wife to do so, over 12 people shared it and invited friends to church (and they weren’t even related to me!) My first reaction was to applaud myself for the platform I had built among my church community… This is simply evidence of pride and spiritual arrogance in my walk with Christ.

The only platform I should be building is Christ’s. If I get opportunities along the way to teach about Him, the teaching should be about HIM.. not my cleverness or preaching techniques.

Pride is extremely subtle and can turn good things into god things. Are you worshiping the gift or the Giver?

2. True faith which brings salvation is practical and full of good works.
I wrote a paper this week for seminary which answered the question on how good works and faith interact when it comes to our final salvation. Specifically, I used James 2:14-26 which SEEMS to contradict that salvation comes through faith alone and grace alone.

Ultimately, faith is a gift that comes from God. The same way that a child does not decide when to be born but it is the will of its parents; Christians do not decide when to be saved but it is the will of God (see James 1:18).

True faith which comes about through the Gospel will reveal itself in practical acts of service to fellow man. If you claim to be a Christian but have a heart that is cold and distant from the pain of humanity, you are deceiving yourself and your faith is useless, dead, and impractical.

We are not saved BY works but we are saved FOR works.

What opportunities has God placed in your life to serve your fellow man?

How was your week? I’d love to have you take a break from the caffeinated beverage you are drinking and tell me about YOU. What has God been teaching you this past week? What was difficult? What brought joy? Let me know by leaving a comment!

 

tylerramsbey Christian Life

Seeing the Invisible God

The Western world – Christians included – are incredibly blind to the presence of God. We have our being in the midst of a noise-polluted and emotionally chaotic world. From the constant buzzing of smart phones to the continual anxiety about material things, we have become blind to the God who reveals Himself moment-by-moment.

I want to share with you an ancient practice that will allow you to see the invisible God. He is working and revealing himself in the midst of our lives but we are too busy and distracted to notice. This means of grace is known as the Examen of Consciousness.

The Examen of Consciousness could be accurately described as a daily review. It is a time that you set apart  and ask God to show you the variety of ways He was present to you throughout your day (or week). This is a form of prayer that has much more to do with listening rather than being heard. Through regular practice of the Examen of Consciousness, you will gradually become more aware of God’s presence in the ordinariness of your life.

Here’s my challenge for you: Spend seven days practicing the Examen of Consciousness. As the warm glow of the evening sun hides behind the horizon and you prepare for sleep, spend a few moments journeying with God through the events of your day. In what ways did you see “coincidences” that reminded you of God’s love and grace? In what ways did you respond to God’s prompting to speak to a stranger or show comfort to someone who was hurting? Allow the loving Spirit of God to make known the variety of ways He was working in your life throughout the day.

In the morning, remind yourself of the beautiful truth recorded in Psalm 139:16 – “All my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.” God wants to reveal himself to you. Pray that He would awake you from your spiritual slumber and open your eyes to the reality of His presence.

tylerramsbey Christian Life, Finances

Immediate Obedience

immediateobedience

As I was meditating upon the Gospel of Matthew this morning, I was struck by the reaction of two disciples to Jesus when he called for them. Jesus, who at this time did not have any disciples, was taking a stroll beside the Sea of Galilee. This body of water is a popular and busy workplace for commercial fishermen. All around him, Jesus can hear the rough talk of men and the distinct sound of fishing nets crashing into the water.

Into this scene, Jesus sets his eyes upon two brothers – Simon and Andrew. Similar to any other day, Simon and Andrew are laboring to catch fish. This is not a vacation for them, this is their livelihood which they have trained many hours for.

Boldly, this itinerant preacher calls to them from the shore: “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people!” (Matt. 4:19)

In essence, Jesus is calling them to sacrifice their comfort and financial security to follow an unknown rabbi. What would you have done? I would have ignored this preacher in order to provide for myself and my family. I have a tendency to worship security rather than God. Instead of stepping into the unknown, I would have held onto my current condition of life and disregarded the Son of God.

How do Simon and Andrew react?

Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. (Matt. 4:20)

They left their sense of comfort. They left their financial security. They left their friends and family. They did all of this to attain a greater prize – following Jesus. Instead of hesitating and worrying themselves out of obedience, they listened immediately.

God wants to use you and I today to accomplish his purposes but we often rationalize our disobedience.

My challenge for YOU today is to obey immediately as soon as you hear the whisper of the Holy Spirit prompting you for action.

 

 

tylerramsbey Christian Life, Temptation

Three Tips for College Students

adviceforcollege

As the Summer season breathes its last warm breath, many students are heading back to school. This is a unique time of the year filled with uncertainty and nervous excitement in the lives of these college students. In order to thrive in your first (or fourth!) year of college, I want to offer some helpful counsel.

1. You are NOT a student first.
I do not care what you parents, academic advisers, guidance counselors, or professors say. Your primary identity is NOT being a student. Although you may spend hours laboring over the dusty pages of ancient books in your campus library, your number one priority is to make much of Jesus Christ – not your studies.

I once heard of a wise professor at a seminary telling his students, “For some of you, it would be sinful not to get an A in this class; for others of you, it WOULD BE sinful for you get an A in this class.”

Your relationship with God comes before your studies.
Your relationship with your family comes before your studies.
Your relationship with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ comes before your studies.

You are a Christian before you are a student so prioritize your time accordingly. What does it profit you to gain incredible grades, prestigious awards, and published articles if you only lose your soul in the process?

2. Root yourself in a local church.
Every college campus, even Christian ones, are notorious for shattering the faith of zealous believers who have spent the last four years drinking soda out of a sock at youth group. In college, as in the rest of your life, it is going to take more than emotional highs and silly games to sustain your faith.

There is an invisible enemy that lurks around your college campus with the desire to kill, steal, and destroy you. Peter provides us with helpful advice: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8

We need to remember that one of Satan’s most effective tactics of devouring believers is by isolating them from a local church. He does this primarily through busyness. If you allow your commitment to a local church to drift during your time at school, you WILL lose this battle against Satan and his demons and your faith will be ruined.

Therefore, root yourself in a local church. Join a small group, serve on a morning team, commit to attending worship services; do NOT unplug from the church as a result of your studies.

3. Do not be taken captive by deception.
All of us are aware of the moral dangers of a college campus. Unfortunately, we are far less aware of the deception that wreaks havoc in the minds of believers being challenged in their faith. It is easy for us to lack discernment and simply received all material we learn in school as truth.

Paul warns us of this danger in Colossians 2:8 – “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”

Paul describes this teaching as “empty philosophy” that sounds extremely intelligent. Ultimately, the teaching finds its source solely in human reason which has been marred as a result of sin. This is what you will encounter in your secular religious and philosophy classes.

Nothing is new under the sun.

I would encourage you to be as noble as the Bereans who “searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” (Acts 17:11) Even when you are confused by a certain teaching, I can promise you there are solid resources by evangelical scholars who have encountered the issues far before you did.

Below is an incredible video by The Gospel Coalition on this subject:

What would you add to this list? Let me know by leaving a comment!

tylerramsbey Music

Behind the Song: Pray For ‘Em

pray for em 2

Undeniably, one of the major themes of the New Testament is praying for our enemies. Repeatedly, Jesus calls us to pray for and do good to those who persecute us. Although this teaching permeates all of Scripture, Christians fall short of this standard on a regular basis – myself included.

I believe a biblically faithful definition of an enemy is someone who is hostile towards you in thought, word, or deed.

When we are hurt by another person, we want to take revenge. Often, we are blinded by our rage and immediately strike out against the other person with poisonous words. We gossip and slander, hoping that our speech has the power to torment the person who hurt us.

My recent song, Pray For ‘Em, was inspired by the remarkable words Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus regarding forgiveness.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32

In order to fully understand this verse, we need to ask – HOW has God forgiven us?

Throughout Scripture, especially in the book of Romans, we see that mankind is depraved. Not only do we rebel against God, we are unable to even desire to please Him due to our sinful nature. Ultimately, we are born into this world as transgressors with consciences that have been dashed to futility by our sin.

Paul writes elsewhere that while we were yet ENEMIES, we were reconciled to God by the death and resurrection of Christ. (Romans 5:10).

You have offended, hurt, and maligned God far more than any human has done to you.

In the midst of our wickedness, Jesus lived the perfect life you and I CANNOT live and died a brutal death we DESERVE to die so that we can have eternal life. If we are to forgive others the same way God has forgiven us in Christ, then there is absolutely no room to hold bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness in our hearts.

I pray that the Holy Spirit would use the Scriptures and my song below to free you from the cold chains of rebellion.

(If you are reading this in your e-mail, you will need to go to the actual page to hear the song.)

Verse 1 [Tyler Ramsbey]
Hurt people hurt people I remember that
So you can sling that dirt but Imma settle back
I know that it hurts but I will never grab
After my reputation cuz I’m dead to that
In other words I don’t need your applause
I don’t seek to please people I serve God
So Imma pray for you while your anger burns on
Even through the malice I promise that I will stand strong
I don’t think you get it well listen in for a moment
Understand my heart was frozen until my King overthrowed it
My entire life was broken deserving death I was hopeless
With every breath I was choking provoking the God who wrote it
I didn’t think I’d make it out alive
Till I heard about the God who willingly died
Took my sin upon the cross and given me life
I forgive cuz I’m forgiven I live in the light

Chorus [Sean Divine]
Sometimes we ain’t on the same page
We see it all a million ways
Our lives so different
In the end we’re just the same
You can throw dirt on me
Question the direction about my dreams
All Imma do is pray for em (pray for em)
All I can is pray for em (pray for em)

Verse 2 [Tyler Ramsbey]
I deserve death but He gave life
So with every breath Imma state my
Praise and adoration to the Most High
Let the jokes fly with all of the broke lies
Cuz I know in no time my God will crack the whole sky
And So I keep on praying if I’m persecuted
Father they don’t know what they are doing
I was once like you being influenced
By the god of this world all while my sins spewin
But He came and He changed me He went through it
Took my shame and the pain while I was still moving
Further from His presence but He still led me straight to Him
Uh, So who am I to hold a grudge
I’ve been forgiven for living with all my broken lust
I’m amazed at the grace that is holding us
See we forgive because we’re sick and yet we know His love

Chorus [Sean Divine]
Sometimes we ain’t on the same page
We see it all a million ways
Our lives so different
In the end we’re just the same
You can throw dirt on me
Question the direction about my dreams
All Imma do is pray for em (pray for em)
All I can is pray for em (pray for em)

Verse 3 [Tyler Ramsbey]
Uh, We need to rise above
Unforgiveness in your heart will make you die to love
You will be chained by the pain and it won’t lighten up
Until you free your soul, with the finest touch
Look, let us start an insurgence
So we can pray for the people who would burn this
Let’s take the values of the world and turn them
All the way around with sound love and purpose
If they hurt you let it turn to worship
Reflect Christ cuz your life has been purchased
And plus you didn’t earn this… So let your burdens
Fall to the Wordsmith and call on His Holy Name
No matter what they say, go ahead and show His fame
We gotta love our enemies until they know the same
Grace that we’ve tasted I pray this is getting through
Forgive others the same way He’s forgiven you

Chorus [Sean Divine]
Sometimes we ain’t on the same page
We see it all a million ways
Our lives so different
In the end we’re just the same
You can throw dirt on me
Question the direction about my dreams
All Imma do is pray for em (pray for em)
All I can is pray for em (pray for em)

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the song, be sure to share this post with your friends on Facebook and Twitter!

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.