Archives For Evan Forester

I’d like to believe that doing the right thing means people will like and support you. Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Scripture often demonstrates this.

David, for instance, did nothing wrong. He killed Goliath and served King Saul with absolute integrity. David loved Saul’s son as a friend and his daughter as his wife. He followed the King’s orders and saved the King’s life.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Despite all this, Saul was dead set on killing David. He tried many times, and often David was left feeling very alone. In 1 Samuel 19:12, for instance, he had to sneak out of his own home and flee into the night. And while Scripture does not specifically say it, I imagine he felt very confused and isolated as he climbed out his window into the dark wilderness before him.

Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. He literally proved God’s existence to everyone watching, and yet was hunted for it. He escaped to the wilderness and felt like such a failure that he asked God, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:4, ESV)

Paul was one of the greatest teachers to ever lived. He constantly preached the Gospel and did what the Lord called him to do. He describes the consequences in 2 Corinthians 11 –

far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles,danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

Jesus, of course, is our perfect example. He lived a perfect life, did nothing wrong, and the people crucified him.

Doing the right thing, it seems, often produces serious enemies. 

Upon realizing this, there are a few questions we must answer.

1) Does this mean we stop doing the right thing? Of course not. It will rarely be easy, but nonetheless we are called by God to live righteously. “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16, ESV) There will be times in this life when you face extreme opposition, but even then, continue to honor the Lord with your actions.

2) Does this mean evil people win? No, at least, not in the long run. Saul tried to kill David, but God protected him and gave David the throne. Elijah was swept away into heaven by a chariot of fire. Paul saw more people come to faith and planted more churches than most of us could ever dream of. Jesus conquered death and now sits enthroned above all others.

3) How should we respond to ridicule? While it is very tempting to return hate with hate, it will only leave us feeling bitter and angry. Instead, we should follow the example of Christ, who on the cross said, “Father, forgive them…” (Luke 23:34). Martin Luther has another great quote, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

4) Why should we do the right thing? Sometimes the evil in this world can seem very great, insurmountable even. But those who are in Christ have a hope to hold onto. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Like Paul and David, like Elijah and Christ, like the millions of martyrs who have died because of their love for Jesus, we look forward to a day when the broken things of the world are put back together. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, ESV)

We have an incredible hope to hold onto. What’s more, we have an incredible King who identifies with our suffering. Doing the right thing does not guarantee we’ll find success according to the world’s standards, but when all is said and done, only God’s standards actually matter.

Continue to do what it is right, even when it is hard.

Continue to #LiveFully.

The Fave Five 04.12.13

Evan Forester —  April 12, 2013

1) Favorite Demonstration: How Animals Eat their food

2) Favorite Worship Song: Angie Miller on American Idol

3) Favorite Testimony: Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher

4) Favorite Dog: This one-

5) Favorite Hawaiian Monk Seal: Spinner

 

I find this passage to be one of the most inspiring passages in Scripture:

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21, ESV)

Ambassador Shanker Das Bairagi, Mission of Nepal

Two definitions: 

1) Reconcile: Restore friendly relations between people, to bring about harmony

2) Ambassador: A diplomatic official of the highest rank, an authorized messenger or representative

3 questions:

1) Have you been reconciled to God? If so, are you living as a new creation? Why or why not?

2) Where has God placed you as an ambassador? What would God tell the people around you, and what is stopping you from telling them yourself?

3) As an ambassador, are you seeking to reconcile people to God? Or are your actions distancing people from God? How can you join in the ministry of reconciliation today?

I implore you to think about these verses and questions today. God has chosen you specifically and put you in a place of honor. Whether you like it or not, if you call yourself a Christian, you represent Christ.

That means you can make a dramatic difference in this world. Why not start living as one reconciled today?

April fool’s day happened this week, which meant a lot of hilarious videos from companies around the globe. Here are 5 of our favorite:

1) YouTube Shuts Down to Determine a Winner:

2) Google Nose App:

3) Flying Penguins (from 2008):

4) G-Mail Blue:

5) Pizza Flavored tic-tacs:

 

Our culture often glorifies convenience, and even laziness.

But how many of your favorite stories involve a character who found life remarkably convenient and easy? There were no obstacles to overcome, no trials to work through, and no challenges to complete. The answer, of course, is zero.

If we want to live good stories, then we will have to overcome challenges. A convenient life is rarely a compelling one. Sometimes life will throw you trials, but other times I believe it is healthy to go looking for challenges yourself.

Kepler Track - The Ridgeline

This past weekend, my wife, a couple friends, and I hiked the Kepler track. The hike took place in a stunning piece of nature, walking along lakes, over mountains, and through river valleys. In 3.5 days we hiked 32 miles and climbed up and down more than 4,000 feet of elevation change. We carried everything on our backs, and one day fought against wind that approached 60 mph.

There were a few moments where I was so tired that I wanted to quit, but couldn’t. We were in the middle of nowhere, and the only solution was to press on until we reached our next destination. And while that hike may not seem like hard work to you, it certainly was for us!

Despite the difficulties, however, we are all thrilled we did the hike. At the end of the week, we all felt like we accomplished something. We challenged ourselves and were able to overcome the difficulties laid out before us. Not only did it give us a sense of accomplishment, but it also gave us the opportunity to visit places that more than 99% of the world will never see.

Hiking the Kepler

And while it certainly would have been more convenient to stay at home and sit on the couch, I can’t say it would have been better. The full life will always include difficulties, and if you are not willing to challenge yourself, you’ll probably miss out.

How can you challenge yourself today? Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn, but never tried? Is there a physical goal you want to meet? Perhaps you want to turn your hobby into a career? Or visit a new country?

Kepler Track - The Big Slip

Whatever the case, today is the day you should begin. It may take years to complete, but you can start today. Draw a plan, get other people involved to hold you accountable, and start actually acting on that plan!

It may not always be easy, but it will be worth it.

We talk a lot about making an impact on culture around here. Today we present 5 really cool charities that make it super easy for you to literally change someone’s life. I’ve looked each of them up on Charity Navigator to confirm they have high scores, and they are all trustworthy causes. While these are not the only great causes out there, I believe they are worth sharing.

Water Aid Africa

In fact, if you share this blog post on facebook and/or twitter and let us know in the comments, we will donate a net (see cause 1) in your name. We’ll donate up to 5 nets in the names of 5 different people, so if more than 5 people share these causes then we will choose randomly. You can also be entered to get a net donated in your name if you leave a comment telling us about one of your favorite causes. Continue Reading…

The Fave Five 03.22.13

Evan Forester —  March 22, 2013

1) Favorite Event: Hearing for the first time at 26

2) Favorite Retirement Plan: Mars One Project

3) Favorite Sports Commercial Parody: Football, football, football!!!

4) Favorite Broken Heart: “I just want a real live unicorn”

5) Favorite Way to Unload a Truck: Inertia

We often bring up cultural topics here on #LiveFully. We’ve discussed all sorts of music, from Katy Perry to the Avett Brothers. We’ve brought up movies, from the Hunger Games to the Hobbit. We’ve focussed on athletes, from Gabby Douglas to Tiger Woods. We’ve explored television shows, from the New Normal to, most recently, the Bachelor.

"Toys of Christmas Past"

Why do we discuss these things so often? Good question, and there are a few important answers:

1) Culture is interesting

Culture constantly changes. Time and location have massive effects, and because of the internet, culture can change at faster rates than ever before. Frankly, we find the evolution of culture fascinating, and so we write about it.

2) Life with God fills all

This is a central theme of #LiveFully – “the redemption of Jesus transforms every area of personal life and positively impacts every channel of cultural life.” We are not called to merely dedicate our time at church to God, but then give our time on the sports field or with friends or at work to ourselves. Every single aspect of our lives should glorify Him.

For this reason, it is important that we recognize the work of God in culture. We also want to show people that, as corrupt as our culture can be sometimes, it is still possible to glorify Him in mainstream pop culture. The more of you who are artists or musicians or actors that believe you can honor Jesus through your gifts, the better.

3) Truth Filter

Calvin once said, “All truth is God’s truth.” In other words, everything that is true in this life originated with God. Practically speaking, that means we can learn truths about God from very unlikely sources. Marilyn Manson, for instance, is not a typical role model. But when asked what he would say to the kids behind the Columbine High School shootings, this was how he responded: “I wouldn’t say a single word to them. I would listen to what they have to say, and that’s what no one did.”

Those words contain a valuable truth and lesson for us. But at the same time, we don’t want to become Manson disciples. He also says a lot of things that are untrue, as does the rest of the world. Culture can throw unlimited lies at us, but we must listen if we hope to reach them. At the same time, we cannot forget our foundation of truth that comes from the Word of God.

The Bible should work as a filter for everything we hear – be it from friends, television, or music. We discuss culture and Scripture to help people learn and practice this ability, so that they can recognize God’s active voice in the world, but consistently reject lies that pull us away from Him.

4) It creates Gospel sharing opportunities

Effective evangelism often begins when you find common ground with the person you are sharing with. Have you ever started a conversation with, “here’s why everything you believe is wrong” that went well?

Of course not. But perhaps you and a friend love the Bachelor. After last week’s episode, you could easily begin a conversation with this friend about prayer. Or maybe you are on a baseball team. What if you brought up Josh Hamilton’s life transformation with your teammates?

There are countless opportunities to do this in the world. Paul even used the Greek gods to find common ground in Acts 17. Starting with common ground makes sharing about Jesus less scary for us, and helps lower the defensive walls other people build in their own hearts.

At the end of the day, if we look at culture and think nothing more than, “that’s cool,” then we are missing opportunities to be salt and light to a generation that desperately needs God. We hope when you read these posts that they inspire you to bring Christ’s light to the world around you.

#LiveFully.

The Fave Five 03.15.13

Evan Forester —  March 15, 2013

1) Favorite Dog: Becks, Who Snores like Donald Duck

2) Favorite Way to Destroy a Building: From the Inside Out

 3) Favorite Superhero: Taekwondo Spiderman

4) Favorite Animals: Kwanza the Lion Cub and Honey the Dog

5) Favorite Website: Automatic Flatterer

This weekend we watched Oz, the Great and Powerful in theaters. It was a good movie (not great – I’d give it a 7/10), and the main theme is one of the most common themes in story telling. In Oz, we watch the protagonist struggle to answer the question: “Who Am I?“.

He wants to be a great man that changes the world, but believes and lives like he is nothing more than a selfish con-man. Glinda calls on the Wizard to rescue the people of Oz, but only once he realizes his true identity can he actually save them.

Who I Am?

This theme is so popular, in fact, that in last year’s film, The Amazing Spiderman, the film ends with a teacher making a bold statement about story lines: “There is only one story and it is: who am I?”

Even Male Models struggle with this question. Check out the wisdom of Derek Zoolander:

I doubt this is the only story, but I imagine it is the most common. It occurs frequently throughout the Bible. Continue Reading…