Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Honor

As I was reading Proverbs 15 today, the last verse happened to be the one that Caught my attention. "Humility come before honor"
There are so many people who long to be important, even in the Kingdom of God. But in this upside down kingdom, the servants are greatest.
Lord, make me a servant...like You

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Christmas musical

I'm really not a Christmas person but I absolutely love listen to little kids sing and do Christmas programs. The kids at C3 did an amazing job with their musical tonight.
I can't imagine the number of hours that have been invested between the volunteers, the kids, the parents, the stage crew...a bunch.
But for what purpose? Well, a huge purpose. There were dozens of visitors there tonight. They saw the bride of Christ at her best, we even had enough finger-food for the 300-ish crowd. Awesome!
God, help us as we tend to the seeds that were planted tonight...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Mouthpiece of God

I can't help but see preaching as being God's mouthpiece. That's a bit unnerving. It causes me to have others look over what I have written in notes.
I always pray before I prepare a sermon. I ask God to guide me. I ask godly people their thoughts on the message. I pray more as I internalize the message.
All those things ease my mind. But should I be at ease? I think not. Confident? Perhaps, if that confidence is produced from reliance on, and faith in God.
Acts 1:8 says "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 
Here I am, at the end of the earth, praying, "Holy Spirit, give me powerful words."

Monday, December 7, 2009

Outsourcing Justice

I look back in time and see that, at some point, the church disregarded the example of the church described in Acts.

The church decided that the government could take over helping people who were down and out...widows, orphans, poor, lame.

These were the very people that Jesus chose to hang out with. So why? Why have we outsourced justice to the government that decided that corporate prayer does not belong in school. That decided that evolution would be the creation theory that it would teach. Why have we outsourced to those who say that, contrary to Scripture, life begins outside the womb? Why have we given the task of taking care of widows and orphans to those who would encourage the demise of those left to its charge by handing out condoms? Why church?

I have but one answer...APATHY. We simply don't care. We have put ourselves on the thrones of our lives. But it can all change, it can be reversed.

This is the season to change all that, reach out. Put those in need ahead of yourself. God will bless you!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Campers, People, God

After seeing the weather forecast, I realized that I should probably winterize my camper. This realization happened at 8:00 PM so there I was, 23 degrees, at 9:00 doing something that I should've done weeks ago. One of the lines was already frozen so it required thawing and it was a huge pain.
I think that we do those sorts of things all the time in situations that can have far worse repercussions.
We put off seeing people until they are sick or far away. We then scramble to try to make up for lost time and it is almost never easy.
We put off cultivating out relationship with Christ until we have looming problems. Then "the pipes are frozen."
Funny, how God uses crazy things like cold weather to refocus me on people whom I love and His "still, small voice" but for these reminders, I am thankful that He pursues me.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Legos

Wow, 6 weeks since I've posted. I'm not really that busy, I just haven't made the time.
Because of my new position, I've been reading a lot about different methods of church growth.
I believe that God has ordained church growth. When people experience God in a real or new way, they tell others. The church grows. When there are no face to face experiences, the church stagnates and I know, according to Rev 3, God doesn't do stagnation.
Today, I read an analogy of our culture that seemed very accurate. People are like legos. They only have so many pegs to attach to. This applies to relationships among other things. A person can really only accommodate so many relationships at a time.
One of the keys to church growth is to find that open peg on their lego. To help people attach to one another. It doesn't matter what the contraption looks like that is built. Much like a parent, God sees beauty in all that we build when we build it for Him.
Building a lego church...maybe I should write a church growth book. or not.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sacrifice

God's love, amazing. Incomprehensible. As a parent, I have a level of understanding, and disbelief that I could ever have done that.
But what would I do for humanity? Or better yet, what will I do? Will I sacrifice that they may know? Will I sacrifice for their good?
Sacrifice. There's a word that I scarce believe most understand. I feel like it's a sacrifice to fast through one day. Or to give a $100 to a missionary. To get up early and pray.
Sacrifice, is what I long for. That should be my song, I'd venture to say that those who've learned true sacrifice are a long way towards holiness.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Holiness

I think of how many times I have sung the song "Holiness" with groups of people who claim Jesus as Lord. The lyrics are:
Holiness, holiness is what I long for. Holiness is what I need. Holiness, holiness is what You want from me. Holiness, holiness is what I long for. Holiness is what I need. Holiness, holiness is what You want from me. So, take my heart and form it. Take my mind and transform it. Take my will and conform it. To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord. Faithfulness, faithfulness is what I long for. Faithfulness is what I need. Faithfulness, faithfulness is what. You want from me. Brokenness, brokenness is what I long for. Brokenness is what I need. Brokenness, brokenness is what You want from me.
Then I think of our collective pursuit, or lack thereof, of holiness.
Recently, I've noticed the huge movement in the church to be kindred spirits with the world in our pursuit of entertainment, specifically television, more specifically the TV show The Office.
I have watched The Office until I started noticing the fac that it's humor is typically based on sexual content.
So I watched again, paper and pen in hand. I counted the sexual references that go against God's Word. I was astounded, 37 references in 30 minutes!

Holiness, is what I long for? I don't think that's the case.

Paul told the Corinthian church this:
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.


I'm pretty sure that my mind is part of my body and it's my ascertainment that joining my mind with 30 minutes of The Office isn't far from joining with a prostitue, if seperated at all.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Go...!

Jesus said, GO! Reading John 1 today. I saw the perfect example. Peter met Jesus and he IMMEDIATELY went and got Peter. He understood GO. Man, sometimes I wait around for "God to open the door" and miss out. I wonder, do most of Jesus' followers really want to "take up the cross and follow"? Do they want to put down their worldly ways and live holy like He was holy? That lack of holiness could just be the obstacle to GOing.
Maybe Jesus would say, "GO away from the worldly ways!". Apathy, procrastination, self-centered lives have prevented many from knowing the "GO Man"

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Look

489 at Saw You At the Pole! It looked amazing. The Spirit of God was among us. Students were in God's presence, praising Him. Robb brought the Word, man did he bring it. I've heard several sermons with Josiah at the center but Robb took a new angle for me, at least.
Josiah was first introduced to God's character by looking at another person, David. Josiah didn't have the written Word, just example. Then Robb issued a "kick in the gut" challenge: do people experience God's personality through you?" Man, I hope...do they?...when I drive, when I'm waiting in line, when I'm upset...Lord, forgive my weakness. Make me look like You.
I remember watching the Dallas Cowboys play back in the 80's. The offensive line moved into position in an orchestrated, almost military fashion. It was impressive to watch. Back then, they were serious contenders most of the time. It was cool to watch. They had the look.
Last night we looked good. We might have even looked better than the 1985 Cowboys offensive line. But how do we look today? How will we look tomorrow? Will the "spectators" see Jesus?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Challenged

I love teenagers. They challenge me. In this shift of positions, I must continue to be involved, to some degree, with these amazing people.
They have enthusiasm for the Lord that acts out. Often criticized for acting out in other ways, this whole dynamic works through their spiritual walk. They say what they believe. They put themselves out there. They are an encouragement to me.
This week I recieved a message from this little girl who had been deeply moved by a video. She caught a glimpse of God's heart toward the lost. She told me that it made her sick to her stomach to think that people were bound for hell.
Sometimes I become calloused toward those that have not accepted Christ as Lord. It's their decision, right? I mean I've preached the Word and they chose not to respond.
Jude 1:22-23 gives some perspective: "...you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives."

How badly I need to be sick to my stomach... Thanks TL for showing me the way!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Living IN God's presence

God indicated in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that if we seek to be in His presence that He would bless us. Now those blessings can come alot of ways. They could be material, emotional, spiritual whatever. My take as to what a blessing is comes from my relationship with God. the closer I am, the more I can see the blessing. When I'm far away, I become selfish and usual look for the material stuff. Shallow.
I'm entering into this season of study with a friend. We both need to get close and live in God's presence. My life is always better when I'm there. Theresa nad I get along better, I treat the kids better. I think Scooter even benefits.
It's a choice. I've heard people pray for God to come near, the reality is that He's always near. We move away. It is I that needs to do the moving.