Swallowed Up In Mercy

There was a man in named Jonah, whose story is told in the Bible. He told God that he would go somewhere for Him, and then he reneged on his promise. What followed was interesting, as the men that were on the ship with him discovered that Jonah had disobeyed God. A storm was buffeting them, and they blamed Jonah. So 0verboard he went.

Then Jonah prayed like this:

Jonah 2

Jonah's Prayer

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God while in the stomach of the fish, 2 saying, "I called out to the Lord because of my trouble, and He answered me. I cried for help from the place of the dead, and You heard my voice. 3 You threw me into the deep waters, to the very bottom of the sea. A flood was all around me and all Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, 'I have been sent away from Your eyes. But I will look again toward Your holy house.' 5 Waters closed in over me. The sea was all around me. Weeds were around my head. 6 I went down to the roots of the mountains. The walls of the earth were around me forever. But You have brought me up from the grave, O Lord my God. 7 While I was losing all my strength, I remembered the Lord. And my prayer came to You, into Your holy house. 8 Those who worship false gods have given up their faith in You. 9 But I will give gifts in worship to You with a thankful voice. I will give You what I have promised. The Lord is the One Who saves."
10 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spit Jonah out onto the dry land.

I bet your God hasn't done that! (Unless your God is The God!)

Givers and Takers, Movers and Shakers

Naaman was a giver. Gehazi was a taker. The story is in II Kings 5. Naaman was grateful for what God had done for him, and wanted to give to the man of God. Gehazi was a taker, an opportunist, who tried to take advantage of a situation that did not include him. Naaman was blessed with health, and Gehazi, well, his taking gained leprosy for him and his whole family.

It's a funny thing. Givers are blessed and happy, and takers are left wanting. It is God's way.

Givers are facilitators. They cause things to happen in the lives of others. We might call them movers and shakers. Those that have the ability, because of selflessness, to get things done in God's economy.

Takers live in a small world. It is all about themselves, and thus others are often in the way. If anything does get done, it is self-absorbed, and no one else is benefited.

People are drawn to givers. God has put that spirit in us. Luke 6:38 Let's grow together in giving.

Tuning In On Depression (In Brief)

We are not designed to be problem solvers. Sorry about that.

We were not equipped to handle every situation that confronts us. Nope, we were not.

We do not have heroic qualities. Not on our own.

We were made to please God. With faith producing the action of the verb.

We were made to love unconditionally. No mind games or manipulations, just love.

We were created to live for others. Self is dethroned, and the other person is exalted.


I have heard it said that 1 in 7 college students suffer from clinical depression. Frankly, I am surprised that it isn't a higher percentage. College can be all about solving problems, or trying to learn to cope. Many attend college in the hope of become a hero in their field, at least in their own eyes. Pleasing God is not part of the curriculum. Love is, for the most part, distorted. And self is most certainly King.

This stacks up to a formula for depression. When I force myself into a role that I was not designed for, my mind will suffer the consequences. If I don't numb it out somehow, it will crash, and depression occurs.

Depression is hard to cure clinically, but much easier to treat with right thinking. God teaches us how to think. Healthy thinking produces healthy, happy, and successful living.

We were made for it!

Psalms 42:5; Philippians 1:6

Good Vibrations or Counterfeit Communication?

Man is attracted to beauty. The wonder of a fiery sunset, the amazement at the great expanse of the oceans, or being caught up in the vibrancy of color found in flowers. It is part of man, built in to him, to respond to such things. When we consider the many beautiful things that this earth contains, it draws us to the notion that there truly is a God. It is as if creation speaks to us. Romans 1:20 (New International Reader's Version) Ever since the world was created it has been possible to see the qualities of God that are not seen. I'm talking about his eternal power and about the fact that he is God. Those things can be seen in what he has made. So people have no excuse for what they do.

Undeniably, creation does speak to us. If we are listening, the message is crystal clear.

There is another entity that seeks to commune with man. Ever since his exile to this planet, he has been scheming to revenge himself for the indictment placed upon him. When man was introduced, Satan paid close attention to the relationship that God desired with this new creation. He saw how God ministered and communicated with man, even through the beauty of the world. If God could move the soul of man through impressions, then surely Satan could too. The proof was born at the Tree of Knowledge in the center of the Garden. Satan disguised himself as the most beautiful of creatures and waited in the tree. The Bible, in Genesis 3, says that the serpent spoke to Eve. I believe he did. But was it with words? Was it a talking beast? Or was it through impressions, vibrations, if you will. Perhaps it was at that point in history that the soul of man was introduced to the vibrations of the atmosphere, tempting and drawing him away from the gentle leading of God.

There are some things that Satan cannot counterfeit. One of them is the way that God speaks in depth to the depths of man's soul. It is the way that He meets man, right where he is, with love and compassion; with grace and mercy. These things cannot be mimicked.

And then there is the Cross. The ultimate defeat of the devil, and the ultimate victory for mankind. The cross is the place where man is forever reconciled to his God, by faith. It is the greatest communication of love in history!

The staff of Verticalink want to help define the difference between 'good vibrations' and the still small voice of God to man. Join us as we explore!

VL Element #3: Relevant Outreach

Outreach that is relevant because the Gospel has not changed with time, and the relevancy of it is inherent. See We believe that the Word of God needs no "tweaking" in order to be understood and received by today's generation of students. God speaks to man's heart primarily, not his intellect. 

We also believe that outreach is simply a part of the Christians life. Sharing our faith with others is the method that God has designed for His Gospel to be spread. In the process of the sharing, the believer receives joy and strength, as he his 'busy about the Father's business.

Let us help you to become a soul winner on your campus! Contact us today!

Verticalink Element #2: Scripture Discovery

Not enough can be said to adequately convey the part that the written Word of God has in the life of man. One could, and very well may, spend a lifetime growing in the discovery of the depths of the Holy Scriptures. The psalmist said much about it, in fact the longest of the Psalms, number 119, is devoted entirely to the importance of the Word.  Jesus said that man does not live only from the nutrients in the food he eats, but it is God's Word that truly sustains him. (Mt 4:4) 

We believe that the most exciting and joyful experiences on earth is discovering the riches of God's letter to us. Yet, finding the meaning of the scriptures requires guidance, which God supplies through His Holy Spirit. The Spirit speaks directly to man, and He also anoints men to teach men. Bible study must become a way of life. Church attendance is a vital part of living on this earth. Taking every opportunity to discover God's Word will pay great dividends in blessing and wisdom. 

The Bible is the full thought of God, and it is new and living. Join us for Bible studies. You just may find yourself hungering more and more for the scriptures!

VL Element # 1 - Joyful Praise and Worship

If you were to come to my house, you would follow the walkway across the front lawn to my front porch, across the porch, to the front door. This is a security door, which we keep locked. Inside you enter a small foyer, where you would be confronted with another door, leading into our living area. This door is also kept locked.
Now, imagine, for the sake of illustration, that I have taken you in as family. I have given you free reign to that which is mine. I have also given you the keys to the entrances of my home. You may come in any time, with the use of the keys.

OK, now watch this:
Ps 100:4* Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
We, as God's children, have been given all that is His. We have free entrance into His house. He has given us the keys to His outer door, and His inner door! The key to the gate, or security door, is thanksgiving! A humble, thankful heart will open that gate! The key to the inner door, which leads to His courts, is praise! Praise, which can be simply defined as a song of adoration, thanksgiving, and glory to God. Praise is the key to God's house!

Back to the illustration. What joy one would have upon entering the house of someone that has given them refuge. A place of safety, shelter, and rest. The soul of man cries out for these things. Man devotes his life to attaining them. And yet, God has freely given them to him!

This is why joyful praise is an element of each Verticalink chapter. We want to be sure that each person knows how to receive and to use the keys to God's courts. Without this heart-knowledge, life is certainly lacking! Just think of it. In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas were sitting in the darkness of a prison cell, incriminated for their faith. They couldn't sleep. The anticipation of what awaited them must have been overwhelming. Then they used the keys! They offered prayers of thanksgiving unto God, and then they sang praises. Two tired, dirty, burly men sang in the darkness to God! Their singing woke the other prisoners, and it put the prison guard into a deep sleep. Then the doors sprang open, and they were free! Refuge, safety, and rest were theirs because they used the keys!

Worship is a little different than praise. You can have worship without praise, but you cannot give true praise without worship. You see, worship is reverence. It is bowing down before God. It is kissing the hand of God, so to speak. I like to think of it like this. Worship is giving myself over to God, with all of my attention going towards Him. He is exalted, then, in my life. This is done moment by moment. It is an act of my will toward my God. When I pay attention to God, I am engaged in worship. When I am quiet and thoughtful toward Him, it is worship.

We want to understand praise and worship more and more, and we want to help others to understand them as well.

Come worship and praise with us!

The Five Elements of Verticalink Campus Ministries

There are five essential elements to each of our Verticalink Campus Ministries. These elements are designed by God and defined in the Scriptures. It is of great importance to us that we maintain God's Way while engaging ourselves in God's Work. These five components were penned in our by-laws during an incredible weekend retreat in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire a few years ago.

Here is the list:

1. Joyful Praise and Worship

2. Scripture Discovery

3. Relevant Outreach

4. Dynamic Discipleship

5. Engaging Fellowship

In the next few postings, I will define each of these elements, starting with Joyful Praise and Worship.

A Crime of Dispassion

To be removed from passion, emotion or bias can be an admirable character trait. It paints a kind of "cool-hand Luke" image upon our imagination. Perhaps a 007 type of person.

However, tonight I am thinking that dispassion has robbed us, as a people, of many things that were rightfully ours. I believe that the apathy we see in a large percentage of individuals is because of a dispassionate Worldview. Freedom from passion has left us with a wavering mentality concerning life and its purpose.

One could correctly say that God is, in many ways, dispassionate. He is not a respecter of persons. (Acts 10:34) He is not one who favors or discriminates.
The truth of the Word of God is unwavering and unchangeable. It is objective in the sense that its object is, in one word, righteousness, or in several words, love, justice, grace, mercy, and sovereignty.

Yet, God is passionate. He has displayed His passion for all the worlds to see during His life, death, and resurrection as the God-man here on earth. For one to suffer so greatly, so intensely, and yet with a purpose of freeing those who hate him, required passion. Yes, God is passionate in His desire that mankind come unto Him.

We can participate in His passion. We can experience the joy of walking with Him. We can feel the burden for the souls of men. We can be moved with compassion for the needs of others. These are the things that bring living to life!

Yet, apathy breeds ignorance of such passion. We miss out on the life God has for us as we rot in our apathy.

Come alive, come away. Come unto Him, and out of dispassion.

Welcome Back!

Back to the grind, as they say. Schedules, alarm clocks, juggling time between work and play. It can be cumbersome. 

Verticalink is a resource that is available to you during your college years. Look us up. We can provide help, encouragement, fun, council, or just a listening ear. We want to serve the student, and share the Love of God clearly and precisely. 

Our website, www.verticalink.org, should be completed this semester. It will contain a variety of amenities for college living. Watch for it, as we are praying in the $ for it's completion.

Watch for us also on the campus at UM College Park, JHU Baltimore, TU Towson, and other new chapters coming soon.

We wish you a fruitful and meaningful semester. Contact us for info.