First things First

I want to be happy, healthy, and wealthy. I want my life to be perfect, free of problems, and abounding in every good thing, and it will be, after I die. Until then, however, I am stuck in this imperfect world, filled with sin and pain. And so are you. In the mean time, however, I stress and become anxious when things don't quite work out the way I want them to. I stress over work, I stress over possible failure, I stress over what might or might not happen that could affect my finances, I stress over just about anything.

Reading the amplified version of the sermon on the mount a couple of days ago, I came across this passage that I wanted to share with you:

"Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?" Matthew 6:25, AMP

The phrase "perpetually uneasy" stood out to me. When I read this particular section of the scripture, I usually read the ESV or the NIV version, but that day I was reading the amplified version, which seems to give additional insight that is sometimes lost in the other translations. The phrase stood out to me so strongly because it describe so precisely how I feel about my life. I feel perpetually uneasy, anxious, and worried. Whether I am at work or at home, even in my sleep sometimes, there seems to be an undercurrent of fear and anxiety about some impending tragedy that might happen at any moment. That is why I read this section of scripture so often, to try to address that underlying insecurity.

As a side note, let me clarify that this passage never says not to save for the future, it only commands not to worry about saving. Other sections of scriptures, such as proverbs, definitely do advice saving and planning for the future. So, please, do keep contributing towards your savings accounts and retirement, just start trusting in God more than in your money.

The larger passage that I was reading at the time is Matthew 6:25-33 and the NIV translation titles it "Do Not Worry." If you read this section carefully, you will notice that it is written in a commanding format. It does not say "I suggest you relax a bit". It is not a suggestion or advice, it is a command to "stop". The passage goes on to talk about three aspects of life: Food, clothing, and storing for the future which, in my mind, all speak about finances. The passage ends with the following statement:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34, ESV

Which brings me to the point I wanted to make all along. The first priority for a Christian should always be the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness. In other words, your relationship and intimacy with Jesus, not health, wealth, and happiness. Out of your relationship with him flow every good thing that is worth having. Away from him, we can only wither and die. The life of a Christian should be the life of someone that is perpetually connected to Christ. So the spirit and love of Christ can flow through the Christian onto everyone he comes into contact with. It should be one continual, uninterrupted act of worship towards God. From God, To God, and By God.

So far we talked about keeping God first, which is the main priority of a Christina not only in finances, but in every aspect in life. Stay tuned because tomorrow we will be talking about HOW we go about doing this.

Additional Scriptures: Matthew 6:19-24, John 15:5-6; Proverbs 3:5-6, Luke 10:27-28; Romans 12:1

Love, Mercy, and Grace

So far we have discussed Love and Grace, but what about Mercy? According to our last study, the difference between grace and mercy seemed to be unclear, and rightly so since it was a study on grace, not mercy. But now it is time we made this distinction a bit more explicit.
As I mentioned previously, it is my opinion that Grace is just an expression of love. As I have heard it said: Grace is when God gives someone something that they do not deserve. Likewise I have heard it say that Mercy is when God does not give someone what they do deserve; with an implied understanding that this "something" is a negative something such as punishment, or eternal damnation.
If we turn this second definition around, mercy becomes the extension of God's forgiveness and, therefore, a more particular type of grace. Mercy is grace applied onto sin and sinners. A grace that extends (gives) forgiveness to those that do not deserve it. Mercy then is another way to refer to His saving grace. John 10:10 describes a general sense of His grace. In this passage God says that Jesus came to give us a more abundant life.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:10-11
However, we see in Johns 3:16-17 a more specific aspect of the grace of God. If Jesus came to give us gifts (see Luke 11:13) and a more abundant life, then his forgiveness is another one, and the most significant, of His gifts. This passage is obviously talking about his saving grace, but what it actually says is that God so loved, that He gave.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17, ESV
We can conclude that if grace is God's giving, then mercy is, specifically, God giving us his forgiveness.
As a closing thought, It is important to mention the difference between discipline and punishment at this point. Discipline, is another expression God's grace, though it might be unpleasant for those on the receiving end of it. Discipline is meant for the good of the one being disciplined, to produce a good and desirable quality in them and for the purpose of teaching. Discipline always has its origin in Love. Punishment, as I use it throughout this blog, is a retribution for sin based on anger. If Divine, this punishment can be referred to as wrath, condemnation , or judgment (not necessarily the "final Judgment"). If human, punishment is also known as vengeance, which is another form of sin.
Thank you Father for your amazing, saving, grace. Thank you for what you did at the cross for us undeserving, wretched creatures. I pray that you show us the extent of our sinfulness, and the true extent of your Holiness and glory, to whatever degree we can possibly understand. Help us grasp the full extent of your mercy to the point where we are transformed in who we are and how we see our lives and you. Help us understand how helpless we are without you, and how impossible it is to re-pay you for your sacrifice so we might understand the true value of it. Amen

All About Grace, Part 2

But grace is not just our attitude towards others, it is also our attitude towards ourselves. I have a hard time with this. I struggle with perfectionism and, therefore, am very hard on myself when I do not perform and achieve my own expectations. But grace is also being understanding towards ourselves. God is not a hash God, he is not a "lightning bolt God", if He went to the trouble to take that savage punishment on my behalf, then why am I punishing myself over something that He has forgiven me of? My counselor would say that it is a sin to treat myself in such a way, and I would agree with him (hence why he give me counsel).
Jesus did not die at the Cross so we could continue to strive to achieve perfection. Even Jesus Himself did not believe that equality with God was something that could be obtained so, why do we try so hard to achieve it? Personally, I think it is a pride issue. There is something deep within that says that we need to do more or be better so we can achieve perfection on our own strength.
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8, ESV
But, as with every other piece of advice given by God, grace has immense benefits for the one being gracious as well. If we make a habit of extending grace towards ourselves and others, it will have a deep effect in the way we perceive life, in the way we live life and, ultimately, in how much we enjoy life. An attitude of grace is beneficial to the one on the receiving end, as well as the one that is being gracious. All of life should be lived in an attitude of grace, which is nothing more than expressed love toward the undeserving.
What would happen if you adopted this attitude of grace towards yourself, your spouse, your children, the members of your church, your co-workers, your boss, your employees, your business partners, your friends,....?
How much more enjoyable would life be if your heart would automatically react with love, compassion, and grace towards yourself and others, instead of harshness and judgmentalism?
In this article, we have spoken a lot about grace, but you might be thinking that it is a lot like mercy, in which case you would be correct. Stay tuned because, on my next post, I will be explaining my view on the difference between grace and mercy.
A note about this blog: If you read through some of my other articles, you will notice that a lot of what I write assumes a level of perfection. This is because I tend to think a lot in terms of idealistic concepts and express them in such way. However, perfection is not achievable and whatever habit or attitude I might be talking about, please be compassionate and understanding towards yourself if you decide to embark in a journey and embrace change towards those. Leave some room for error for yourself. No one, other than Jesus, can maintain any habit or attitude perfectly for an indefinite period of time, including you and me.

All About Grace, Part 1

Christianity is all about grace, yet people keep insisting in making it about a whole lot of other things. But, what is grace exactly? To understand grace, lets first take a look at love.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at  wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, ESV

Grace is when you apply this attitude that the bible calls love (which is very different than what the world calls love) to someone that has hurt you, or does not deserve it. Grace is to forgive, and treat others as you would have them treat you, when they mess up. Put yourself into the offender's shoes and ask yourself these questions: If I had done what he/she did, how would I like people to treat me? Would I want people to respond with understanding and forgiveness? Or would I like people to judge me and put me down because of what I did?

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12, ESV

If you are like me, you would likely choose the second of those two options. Then why is it that most of the time people do not behave like this? As a matter of fact, treating other in any other way is, in my opinion, hypocritical. But, since we are talking about grace, let me hasten to add that no one can do this perfectly, and there is grace for that too. I sure don't get it right nearly as much as I would like to.
Grace is God coming down to save a disgusting, filthy, sinful people, and submitting himself to humiliation, torture, and the cross, when He could have stayed in the comfort of Heaven, surrounded by angles singing Him praises for ever more.

"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8, ESV

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." John 10:10-11, ESV

For the second and, in my opinion, more important part of this article please, check back on Monday February 27th -g

Religion Vs. Relationship

I skipped church last Sunday. My fourteen month old child was sick and my wife decided that it was best for him to stay home. I could have gone to church on my own, but I decided to stay and spend that time with my wife and son instead. Was that the right decision? Was it the wrong decision? Am I a bad Christian for having stayed home when I could have gone to church to worship? These are all the wrong questions, aimed at making me feel guilty about "not doing enough". The truth of the matter is that going to church can sometime be an even worse decision than staying home. The key is they attitude you have in your heart when making the decision.

I do not believe that Jesus cares much about people going to church just because they feel obligated. I believe Jesus wants people to go to church as an act of worship towards him (see my post on "What is Worship?"), in order to learn and grow closer to him, to experience fellowship with other believers and be encouraged and uplifted. Now, let me clear about this, I do NOT believe that skipping church is a habit anyone should adopt either. I rarely skip church (which is different than not going to church because of sickness or any other legitimate reason) but, when I do, I don't feel guilty about it.
When I first became a Christian, Jesus led me in a study of the difference between what it means to be religious and what it means to have a genuine relationship with Him. I believe that study has made, and continues to make, a big difference in my relation ship with him. I encourage you to undertake that same study for yourself.

I do not judge my relationships with friends based on how much I do for them or they do for me. I judge my relationship with friends,based on the intimacy between us, based on the amount and quality of the time we spend together. If I measure my relationship with my regular friends in terms of the intimacy, time, and quality of our interactions, why then, should I measure my relationship with Christ, who loves me to the point of going to the cross for me while I was still in my sin, in terms of performance and the things I do or don't do for Him? Jesus said:

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for,his friends." John 15:13

None of my friends has done this for me, nor I for them. But Jesus did. He did not die so I could continue to strive to earn my way into heaven. That method had been proven ineffective by thousands of years worth of people trying and failing miserably. No matter what I do or don't do, God will never love me any more or less than He already does.

How do you measure your relationship with Christ (or "Christianity")? Do you consider yourself a good Christian because you do all the right thing, ie: going to church, praying, checking off your to do list? or do you enjoy deep, intimate, open and honest fellowship with this amazing friend, who loved you to the point of giving his own life for you?

People have this same religious attitude towards serving in ministry. They serve with the underlying intention of "being good," or earning credits to make it into heaven. I believe this is the wrong attitude, not because serving is wrong, but because of the motivation behind it. I believe that our service and obedience towards God should be an expression of our love towards Him, not an attempt to earn something. I do not serve and love my wife to get stuff from her (....for the most part), but I serve her because I love and care for her. Last night, in the middle of the night, I knocked a lamp over accidentally and pieces of glass went flying all over my side of the bed, which also happens to be right in front of the bathroom door. This morning when I woke up I did not clean those shards of glass because I was trying to earn brownie points from my wife or child, I cleaned them up because, had I not done so, she probably would have stepped on them and hurt herself on her way into the bathroom this morning. It was out of my love and concern for her, not to earn anything.

Along the same line of thought, my wife and I serve as Community Group ministry directors for the church we currently attend. We do not serve because we believe that we are earning points with God that will facilitate our entry into Heaven. We serve because we have a passion for community groups, and community, and people helping each other grow closer to Christ. I think this is what the bible means when it says:

"...Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18

Today I want to challenge you to inspect the motivation behind your actions. Why do you go to church? Why do you serve?

Additional Scripture References: Romans 3:20,28, 4:3, 5:1, James 2:14-26

What is Worship?

According to the dictionary.com, worship is, amongst other things, "reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred..." or, "...adoring reverence or regard..." This definition seem to go well with what happens on Sunday mornings at church. But I think there is more to worship than going to church once a week and singing a few songs. The amplified version of the bible says in Romans 12:1:

"I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship."

From this passage of scripture, one can conclude that there is much more to worship that what happens on Sundays. As a matter of fact, worship has little to do with singing at all, it is a life style. You worship God in the morning, when you first wake up, or when you go to work, in the way you use your time and talent, you worship god with every thought, action, or word you speak, in the way you think about life or others, the attitudes you develop towards them, and the way you treat them. In other words:

"...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27 ESV

The Amplified bible speaks of the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord. I think that term sums up the attitude we should have towards God in a great way. We should revere him, worship him, and fear him, all at the same time, in a balanced way. Reverence, Love, and fear, in perfect balance, yielding a lifestyle of humble submission and obedience. THAT is true worship, THAT is a life worth living!!!

"The reverent  and  worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning  and  the principal  and  choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful  and  godly Wisdom, instruction,  and  discipline." Proverbs 1:7 AMP

As I read that verse I can't help thinking that worship, reverence, fear, wisdom, discipline, and knowledge are intimately connected to one another and almost inseparable. Lets look at the all too popular example of David dancing before the arc of the covenant as it was being returned to Jerusalem:

"As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed, each to his house.
 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" And David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will make merry before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor." 2 Samuel 6:16-22 ESV

It is obvious that David was not concerned about what people thought about him. In his mind, his relationship with God was more important that status, his role as as King over Jerusalem, and what other people thought about him. He was not interested in being popular, or respected, or well though of. He was concerned with God, and what His will was for his life. No wonder God called David "a man after my own heart".

I want to challenge you today to decide to live a life of worship towards God, a life in which every aspect is submitted to God in reverential and worshipful fear of Him. With the intention of expressing your love to Him, and His love to everyone you come into contact with!!!

President's Day - An Occasion to Worship Jesus

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Romans 13:1 ESV

Every authority in heaven and on earth is established by God, including our president. As such, it is my deep conviction that the person that holds this most influential position be treated with out-most respect. Whether you live in the USA, Argentina, China, or anywhere else in the world, I believe this should be your attitude towards whichever leaders God has chosen to place over you.

Sometimes I agree with the decisions taken by the president and some times I do not. However, on this President's day I wanted to address an issue that is close to my heart. Even though I do not always agree with our current president, I respect him and accept him as the authority that God has placed in my life. However, I have observed that some people, including Christians, do not do this. Instead they complain and insult him, and by doing so, the indirectly complain and insult God. After all, it was Him the one that chose him as a leader.

While in the wilderness, David was being pursued by Saul, who was trying to kill him. At this time, Saul was the King of Israel and, as such, David's King. At one instance, Saul ventures into a cave where David and his men were hiding. As Saul was relieving himself, David's men were encouraging him to take advantage of the situation and dispose of this despised tyrant. However tempted he might have been, David did not do this:

"And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed." "1 Samuel 24:4-6 ESV

The attitude that David shows is one of respect for the authority that God had bestowed onto the man Saul. It is an attitude of worship toward God and his decisions. God is fully capable of disposing of Saul whenever he deems it appropriate so, at this time, David chose to worship God by respecting His decision to anoint Saul as king and lord over him.

On this day and age, God has chosen Barack Obama as His anointed to lead this nation. As such, I hope that this President's day you bow your heart to Jesus and worship Him by accepting and respecting those that He chose to put in authority over you.

Thank you Lord for the Leadership of Mr. Barack Obama. I ask that you guide and lead Him according to your purposes. Guard and keep him against every force that wishes him evil and, above all else, bless him and his family with a deeper intimacy with you, a relationship with you that will touch every aspect of his life, including his position as leader of America.

About "Every Day In Christ"

My goal, and hopefully the Lord's too, is to share valuable information with you that might help you grow closer to him and lead a more fulfilling life. Like I mentioned in the About Me section, my background is in engineering. So why am I blogging about living "Every Day In Christ"? The answer is simple. I have been a Christian for approximately 10 years. I have studied and have had expediences from which I have grown, and I want to share those with you hoping that they will bless you and help you.

Another aspect of this blog that is very close to my heart is community. I would like to create a community of people that is open to one another, unafraid to share their lives and hearts, knowing that they will be received with openness and respect and where we can experience meaningful fellowship. As such, I am planning on being open and sharing my life with you as well.

Throughout this blog I intend to address any area of the Christian Life that I feel I might have something of value to offer. Anything from bible studies or questions that I might have or might still be wrestling with, to marriage issues, money matters, current events, Christian ethics, spiritual growth strategies, and so forth. I intend to post three to five times per week, so keep checking periodically for new posts.

I also expect those that benefit and find this blog useful to be involved and interact with myself and other readers so we might help each other grow. My prayer is that together we may grow and reach greater heights than we would have otherwise.

Note: Please be respectful of other's opinions. It is OK to disagree, and it is OK to express the disagreement and varying opinions, it is actually helpful and encouraged as this would help us grow in our own views and thinking, however, lets do it respectfully and, when needed, let's agree to disagree in a respectful, tolerant, and friendly way. Aggressive or inappropriate posts will be deleted.

As a final thought, I encourage you to not take anything that I say throughout this blog as truth, I encourage you to challenge everything you read, whether posted by myself or any one else, study, research, and reach your own conclusion. And, if you do this, we would love to hear the result of your own personal study, so please share it with all of us!!!!

About Me

My name is Guillermo Vedani, I am 28 years old and was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I live and work in the Greenville, SC area. I am an a member of Community Bible Church (CBC), where I serve along with my wife as community groups directors. I am also going through the second year of a three year long program called "Bible Institute" at CBC, which is an non-credited curriculum aimed at equipping Christians to better study and understand the bible.

I am married to the most amazing woman that I have ever met, her name is Ashley, and the Lord had to literally drag me halfway around the world to find someone that would put up with me so I may start the journey and growth that I am planning on sharing with you through this blog. So far, we have been blessed with one amazing child and we are expecting the second one to arrive sometime in August (2012).

I lived in Buenos Aires until I was 15, when I moved to Kansas for my senior year in high school. Afterwards, I went to the University of South Carolina where I graduated with a bachellor's and Master's degree in mechanical engineering. I have been working as a mechanical engineer ever since.

I was baptized as a baby according to the catholic tradition, mainly because my dad lost a bet to my mom. I originally came to know Jesus and understand the gospel when I was in high school at about fourteen years old. My relationship with him, however, didn't really become serious until my senior year in college (2004) when I became involved in an inter-denominational student ministry at the university. I do not consider myself catholic, nor do I attend the catholic church.

Ever since, I  have been pursuing and trying to get to know him better. I have never been the same and, hopefully, my experiences and the things I have learned since will be a blessing to you.  -g