I'm just returning from my 5:30 AM gathering of the three amigos and the subject of maturity was part of our discussion. I love hearing my brothers talk about things because it opens my mind and imagination. While discussing maturity I envisioned my two sons and daughter trying to jump on my lap to ask me for advice. This mental picture became very awkward because both of my sons are in their 30's and my daughter is 28. It is much easier to remember them doing this when they were little children but for them to jump in my lap right now would be a bit repulsive and awkward. My boys are much bigger than me and my daughter just wouldn't think of doing that anymore.
My kids are at a different stage in their life and so they wouldn't think of approaching Dad the same way they did when they were 6 years old. This is very easy to understand in the natural family but I don't think many of us who have come to know the Lord understand this in our spiritual life. When we are young in the Lord we can jump on the Father's lap as well but we cannot do this for the rest of our life. The real sign of maturity in the Lord is when we begin to make decisions based on our up bringing. If our maturing has been stunted then we are in an awkward relationship with the Father.
I used to think that age had a lot to do with maturity. I'm not so sure now. I know some very young people that show great signs of maturity and I know some older folks that never seemed to have grown up. There are a number of us in the Body of Christ that are still sitting around doing nothing and being fed pablum at a very old age. We are behaving like career students that never seem to graduate and go on into life's work.
We will always be sons and daughters to the Lord but His goal for us is to become mature and into the full stature of His son. As for my kids, I'm glad they don't jump on my lap anymore. I love seeing them make their own decisions and lead their own lives. I'll be there if they need me but I get real joy out of seeing them make their own choices. I am very proud of my kids. They are all very responsible young adults. We need to give the Lord this same joy by going on into maturity. It will bless Him as well.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
John 1:1-2
Good Morning!
This is the first day of many as we travel through the Gospel of John.
Lord, we need your presence.
John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All the Gospels seem to start out a bit different. Matthew starts out with the genealogy of Jesus. Mark begins by introducing John the Baptist and Luke actually presents a formal introduction about why he is writing his account of the gospel. John begins with an eloquent description of Jesus Christ as the word that became flesh.
When I read " in the beginning", it says to me that there is a timeline. Lord, you are eternal and so you have no time line. The past to you must be far reaching and never ending and the same goes with the present and the future. The beginning referred to here must be the beginning of our creation.
Over the years many teachers of the Bible have put a lot of emphasis on 'logos"(the written word of God) and "Rhema"(the spoken word of God). John is speaking about something more here though. He is writing about Jesus Christ being the Word of God incarnate. In other words, if you encounter Jesus Christ then you encounter every word that God has spoken and every word that God will speak in the future because He is one in the same. The same was in the beginning with God.
As a word of encouragement, The lord has spoken through a donkey before and so the qualifications for The Lord to speak through us are not out of reach.
This is the first day of many as we travel through the Gospel of John.
Lord, we need your presence.
John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All the Gospels seem to start out a bit different. Matthew starts out with the genealogy of Jesus. Mark begins by introducing John the Baptist and Luke actually presents a formal introduction about why he is writing his account of the gospel. John begins with an eloquent description of Jesus Christ as the word that became flesh.
When I read " in the beginning", it says to me that there is a timeline. Lord, you are eternal and so you have no time line. The past to you must be far reaching and never ending and the same goes with the present and the future. The beginning referred to here must be the beginning of our creation.
Over the years many teachers of the Bible have put a lot of emphasis on 'logos"(the written word of God) and "Rhema"(the spoken word of God). John is speaking about something more here though. He is writing about Jesus Christ being the Word of God incarnate. In other words, if you encounter Jesus Christ then you encounter every word that God has spoken and every word that God will speak in the future because He is one in the same. The same was in the beginning with God.
As a word of encouragement, The lord has spoken through a donkey before and so the qualifications for The Lord to speak through us are not out of reach.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
A Journey Through John
I have always wanted to go back into the Bible with a new and fresh approach but I have been stymied the past couple of years. I've had a break through lately. The Lord has led me to the book of Revelations to show me the similarities that I have had in my own life with the Christians at the church in Ephesus.
Revelations 2: 1-7
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
I clearly identify with the Christians in Ephesus. I have been a hard worker and have persevered through many things and in doing so I have at times lost my first love and passion. My heart has been very heavy over this the past few days and I have ask the Lord to help me. I have already made some significant decisions and one of them is to go back and do one of the things that I did at the beginning. I paraphrased scripture continually. I read the Bible and allowed the Lord to give me insight and interpretation. I was full of His Spirit and in my spritual infancy He would give me clarity as I read His word.
Here's what I have come to grips with concerning reading the Bible. Reading the Bible is very dry and uninspiring without a relationship with God. It is very difficult to comprehend the things of the Spirit with the natural mind and so I attribute spiritual dryness while reading the Bible to be the result of trying to relate to God without first having an on going relationship with Him and in so doing we are unable to make the proper connection with His Spirit. The Bible is not a book of concepts that needs to be understood. It is a compilation of true stories about the continuing saga between God, Man, and the Devil and hear this, the story is not over and what God has to say has never been limited to the words only written in the Bible. He is still speaking and has much to say if we have the ears to hear and eyes to see. Haven't you ever wondered why we cannot hear from God? Doesn't He have anything to say" Things are a mess down here. Surely He has some input. Folks, it's not Him. It's us. We are the culprits. We can shut down the voice of God into our own life because we want to do it our way. A self serving heart cannot hear the things of God.
When I read what the Spirit says about the church in Ephesus, I begin to see how human effort in God's name can be used against us and deceive us into thinking our duty is all that is necessary to please God. The Lord doesn't look at the effort first. He looks into our heart to see why we are doing what we are doing. He wants our love for Him to be our supreme motivation.
I have decided to to take a journey through the Gospel of John on this blog. I am very excited about hearing from God as we move along together. Feel free to contribute as we journey together and expect to hear from the Lord. Wow, that sounds life changing. I can't wait.
Lord, come lead us.
We desparately need to hear from you
Revelations 2: 1-7
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
I clearly identify with the Christians in Ephesus. I have been a hard worker and have persevered through many things and in doing so I have at times lost my first love and passion. My heart has been very heavy over this the past few days and I have ask the Lord to help me. I have already made some significant decisions and one of them is to go back and do one of the things that I did at the beginning. I paraphrased scripture continually. I read the Bible and allowed the Lord to give me insight and interpretation. I was full of His Spirit and in my spritual infancy He would give me clarity as I read His word.
Here's what I have come to grips with concerning reading the Bible. Reading the Bible is very dry and uninspiring without a relationship with God. It is very difficult to comprehend the things of the Spirit with the natural mind and so I attribute spiritual dryness while reading the Bible to be the result of trying to relate to God without first having an on going relationship with Him and in so doing we are unable to make the proper connection with His Spirit. The Bible is not a book of concepts that needs to be understood. It is a compilation of true stories about the continuing saga between God, Man, and the Devil and hear this, the story is not over and what God has to say has never been limited to the words only written in the Bible. He is still speaking and has much to say if we have the ears to hear and eyes to see. Haven't you ever wondered why we cannot hear from God? Doesn't He have anything to say" Things are a mess down here. Surely He has some input. Folks, it's not Him. It's us. We are the culprits. We can shut down the voice of God into our own life because we want to do it our way. A self serving heart cannot hear the things of God.
When I read what the Spirit says about the church in Ephesus, I begin to see how human effort in God's name can be used against us and deceive us into thinking our duty is all that is necessary to please God. The Lord doesn't look at the effort first. He looks into our heart to see why we are doing what we are doing. He wants our love for Him to be our supreme motivation.
I have decided to to take a journey through the Gospel of John on this blog. I am very excited about hearing from God as we move along together. Feel free to contribute as we journey together and expect to hear from the Lord. Wow, that sounds life changing. I can't wait.
Lord, come lead us.
We desparately need to hear from you
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Where is your treasure?
Matthew 6:19-21
Treasures in Heaven
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
These verses can be very troubling to the average American. We have treasures that the world has never seen. We have more stuff than we know what to do with. We spend all of our time acquiring and maintaining all that we get. We are too often consumed by the notion that we are doing a noble thing when we work hard for these treasures. Having stuff is a problem in many parts of the world but in America it is dangerously close to our heart. It's what drives us and at our end you know the old saying, it doesn't go with us anyway. It's easy to see the problem but very difficult to overcome.
I did not finish college. I really didn't know what I was going to do with my life. I loved music but after getting married music just didn't seem like the way to go. I learned the insurance business in 1972 and became very successful. I recognized the entrepreneurial spirit that was in my heart. I loved challenges. I felt like an underdog because I didn't have a college degree. I aways felt a bit inferior to those that did go on to get their degree. I had a love-hate relationship with the insurance business for 25 years but I became very successful once I totally committed my time and energy. I helped finance my kids college education and helped pay for three weddings. I purchased a new home in 2000 and so I have lived the American dream.
All those achievements are nice but I still have my doubts. I always wanted to be a quote, "full time minister." I did that at the end. I served as a men's pastor for two years. That experience was quite revealing. I don't think that I treasured any of my accomplishments more than my encounter with Jesus but life in America has a way of stealing your heart. It keeps you so pre-occupied to the point that you are unaware of what you are really missing as you live life's journey.
The last part of verse 21 in Matthew 6 reveals where your heart is at the moment. I love and hate this verse because there is no getting around what it is saying. It is the naked truth and everyone can see it. What we treasure is where our heart spends it's time. It is a reality check in the worst way. It tells us everything that we need to know about ourselves. I used to think that the game of golf did that. When you see folks play golf you can see their disposition and how the game affects them. You will see all kinds of emotional things happen to golfers as they try to play the game and sometimes it isn't pretty to watch.
I'm trying to find out where my heart is right now. I ask for your prayers. I pray that the Lord will help you as well because He more than anyone else understands our plight living in America. He is not there to condemn us. He is there to help us through but we must first give Him all of our heart and by so doing we will find the real prize.
Treasures in Heaven
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
These verses can be very troubling to the average American. We have treasures that the world has never seen. We have more stuff than we know what to do with. We spend all of our time acquiring and maintaining all that we get. We are too often consumed by the notion that we are doing a noble thing when we work hard for these treasures. Having stuff is a problem in many parts of the world but in America it is dangerously close to our heart. It's what drives us and at our end you know the old saying, it doesn't go with us anyway. It's easy to see the problem but very difficult to overcome.
I did not finish college. I really didn't know what I was going to do with my life. I loved music but after getting married music just didn't seem like the way to go. I learned the insurance business in 1972 and became very successful. I recognized the entrepreneurial spirit that was in my heart. I loved challenges. I felt like an underdog because I didn't have a college degree. I aways felt a bit inferior to those that did go on to get their degree. I had a love-hate relationship with the insurance business for 25 years but I became very successful once I totally committed my time and energy. I helped finance my kids college education and helped pay for three weddings. I purchased a new home in 2000 and so I have lived the American dream.
All those achievements are nice but I still have my doubts. I always wanted to be a quote, "full time minister." I did that at the end. I served as a men's pastor for two years. That experience was quite revealing. I don't think that I treasured any of my accomplishments more than my encounter with Jesus but life in America has a way of stealing your heart. It keeps you so pre-occupied to the point that you are unaware of what you are really missing as you live life's journey.
The last part of verse 21 in Matthew 6 reveals where your heart is at the moment. I love and hate this verse because there is no getting around what it is saying. It is the naked truth and everyone can see it. What we treasure is where our heart spends it's time. It is a reality check in the worst way. It tells us everything that we need to know about ourselves. I used to think that the game of golf did that. When you see folks play golf you can see their disposition and how the game affects them. You will see all kinds of emotional things happen to golfers as they try to play the game and sometimes it isn't pretty to watch.
I'm trying to find out where my heart is right now. I ask for your prayers. I pray that the Lord will help you as well because He more than anyone else understands our plight living in America. He is not there to condemn us. He is there to help us through but we must first give Him all of our heart and by so doing we will find the real prize.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Religion Replaces Love
After 30 years my perspective on our merger with Carlo has changed. We were young and passionate. Carlo and his folks were pioneers as well. They were trying to break free from tradition and seek God with all of their heart. The difference between the two groups was the baggage that each were carrying was quite different. Carlo's gang still acted churchy and religious. They really couldn't help themselves. That was their background. They didn't want to appear to be anything like a cult and so they conducted themselves much like the Methodist and Presbyterians that met down the road.
Our group was very much out of the 60's culture. We loved bonding together and the gatherings at my house revolved around music, worship and friendship. Our bags were full of youthful zeal and a bit of disdain for the establishment. Our generation naturally bonded together because of the fear that was surrounding us daily. The Vietnam war, assassinations, the Kent State shootings all had a tremendous impact on my generation. There was an insecurity that needed mended and our new life in Christ is exactly what we needed.
The merger began to wear on everybody. There were some good times but things were different now and it seemed like we lost our fervor for the things of God. My heart was heavy. I was in constant prayer over what to do. Dar and I were about to have our first child and so I concentrated on my job a bit more. Pastor Ron would come down from Pittsburgh occasionally and visit the gathering in our home. He was always reassuring and encouraging our group. We stayed together as a group but our joy was stolen by religion. We were very confused with our role at the Branch Christian Center but we tried to remain faithful to Carlo and his desire to see a church grow in the Follansbee area. He was a good man but something was missing. Something precious had left us and we all knew it but we seemed to have no control over the situation.
I clung to Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
Next up.....
Going Back to the Burgh!
Our group was very much out of the 60's culture. We loved bonding together and the gatherings at my house revolved around music, worship and friendship. Our bags were full of youthful zeal and a bit of disdain for the establishment. Our generation naturally bonded together because of the fear that was surrounding us daily. The Vietnam war, assassinations, the Kent State shootings all had a tremendous impact on my generation. There was an insecurity that needed mended and our new life in Christ is exactly what we needed.
The merger began to wear on everybody. There were some good times but things were different now and it seemed like we lost our fervor for the things of God. My heart was heavy. I was in constant prayer over what to do. Dar and I were about to have our first child and so I concentrated on my job a bit more. Pastor Ron would come down from Pittsburgh occasionally and visit the gathering in our home. He was always reassuring and encouraging our group. We stayed together as a group but our joy was stolen by religion. We were very confused with our role at the Branch Christian Center but we tried to remain faithful to Carlo and his desire to see a church grow in the Follansbee area. He was a good man but something was missing. Something precious had left us and we all knew it but we seemed to have no control over the situation.
I clung to Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose
Next up.....
Going Back to the Burgh!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Trap
There are a lot of different traps that we use to gather up those annoying little mice along with an array of other traps for much larger game. I honestly remember going after a little mouse with a hammer one day. It proved to be very inefficient and quite damaging to the floor. It became obvious that I would have to use some type of snare to trick that little rascal. A mouse trap loaded with peanut butter does a much better job and it doesn't damage your carpet or tile flooring. The little mouse is a sucker for peanut butter as a late night snack. He travels about in his normal hunting routine, sniffing along and looking for the scent of some tasty food morsel. Everything appears to be the same when the mouse starts eating the peanut butter and then all of the sudden it's over. Wham! The door is closed shut and the life is being sucked out of him.
Does that sound familiar? Life is full of traps just like that. They are set like mine fields all around us waiting for us to succumb to the luring scent of their deception. We don't recognize them because they look too familiar. They look like things that we have always looked at only they are like wolves in sheep's clothing. You think you are petting a lamb and an angry wolf appears to devour you when you are most vulnerable.
Each one of us can look back and recall some of these traps but it doesn't always make it easier to see the new and improved snares that are out there today. Who is setting these traps anyway? Are these traps just life's normal circumstances or is there a sinister invasion going on behind the scenes. The answer is yes. Some of it can be attributed to the school of hard knocks theory but if we understand the Bible even a little bit we have to believe that there is an enemy of God working against us. I don't want to go too deep here but I do think that it's important to recognize one important snare of God's prime time enemy. Satan's intial snare is to have all of us disregard his existence. If we do not acknowledge his existence then we cannot properly defend ourselves against his attacks.
The Lord has given us the weapons of warfare and we can defeat this foe in our everyday life if we have the ears to hear and the eyes to see. He builds traps in the most unlikely places. It's not the obvious vices like alchohol, thievery, murder, pornography, etc. We choose those things and then Satan perverts them even more. The more devious traps are those that look wholesome but can actually do us in just like drugs or alchohol. Religious traps, sports and leisure traps, social climbing traps, materialistic traps, and many more. The deception and entrapment occurs by taking a good thing and perverting it into some self-absorbing life sucking sin. The traps often come when we are living with anxiety, pressure and fear.
That's why we need the Lord.
Proverbs 25:29
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Does that sound familiar? Life is full of traps just like that. They are set like mine fields all around us waiting for us to succumb to the luring scent of their deception. We don't recognize them because they look too familiar. They look like things that we have always looked at only they are like wolves in sheep's clothing. You think you are petting a lamb and an angry wolf appears to devour you when you are most vulnerable.
Each one of us can look back and recall some of these traps but it doesn't always make it easier to see the new and improved snares that are out there today. Who is setting these traps anyway? Are these traps just life's normal circumstances or is there a sinister invasion going on behind the scenes. The answer is yes. Some of it can be attributed to the school of hard knocks theory but if we understand the Bible even a little bit we have to believe that there is an enemy of God working against us. I don't want to go too deep here but I do think that it's important to recognize one important snare of God's prime time enemy. Satan's intial snare is to have all of us disregard his existence. If we do not acknowledge his existence then we cannot properly defend ourselves against his attacks.
The Lord has given us the weapons of warfare and we can defeat this foe in our everyday life if we have the ears to hear and the eyes to see. He builds traps in the most unlikely places. It's not the obvious vices like alchohol, thievery, murder, pornography, etc. We choose those things and then Satan perverts them even more. The more devious traps are those that look wholesome but can actually do us in just like drugs or alchohol. Religious traps, sports and leisure traps, social climbing traps, materialistic traps, and many more. The deception and entrapment occurs by taking a good thing and perverting it into some self-absorbing life sucking sin. The traps often come when we are living with anxiety, pressure and fear.
That's why we need the Lord.
Proverbs 25:29
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Gnosticism verses Agnosticism
I once did a little study on Agnosticism. Agnosticism's primary doctrine is neutral as to whether God exists. It's a maybe, maybe not philosophy. As I explored agnosticism a little bit further I found that this philosohpy was born out of a more foundational philosophy called gnosticism. Gnosticism is a self-initiated and formalized set of philosophies and doctrines carefully guarded by those who iniate them. In other words, these guys make up their own rules. How convenient is that? It seems to me that Gnosticism is more of a problem than Agnosticism.
I really loved the beginning of Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life". He said something to the affect that you cannot know your purpose in life outside the one who created you. It seems kind of fruitless to think that we know what's best for our life when we had nothing to do with creating it.
I'm more concerned about the gnostics than the agnostics because they are taking upon themselves the right to devise their own way of life apart from God or anybody else. They worship the modern day golden calf of self-rule, establishing their own little kingdoms by becoming their own authority. I can see the temptation in gnosticism. It's self-justification and that is so dangerous because we certainly can deceive ourselves.
Oh well, Im' stickin with God's plan. I certainly don't have the answers to my own life.
Have a great week everybody!
I really loved the beginning of Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life". He said something to the affect that you cannot know your purpose in life outside the one who created you. It seems kind of fruitless to think that we know what's best for our life when we had nothing to do with creating it.
I'm more concerned about the gnostics than the agnostics because they are taking upon themselves the right to devise their own way of life apart from God or anybody else. They worship the modern day golden calf of self-rule, establishing their own little kingdoms by becoming their own authority. I can see the temptation in gnosticism. It's self-justification and that is so dangerous because we certainly can deceive ourselves.
Oh well, Im' stickin with God's plan. I certainly don't have the answers to my own life.
Have a great week everybody!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Spontaneous in The Spirit
A definition of spontaneous:
Implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.
I really like spontaneity! It is so real and so natural. It seems very God-like. It seems like that is how God is. God is all things good and I suppose that He is calculated in some of His doings but it seems that the pattern that Jesus gives us is a life of spontaneity around a mission. His mission and purpose was very clear but His everyday life seemed very spontaneous. He just let it happen. He was available to anyone that needed Him and He naturally involved himself in the everyday life of the people around him. He didn't seem to have one organizational bone in His body.
Life was not like that to Jesus. It was about freeing people from bondage. It was about breaking bread together. It was about opening the eyes of the blind whether it be natural blindness or spiritual blindness. He seemed to enjoy telling stories and interacting with folks. It wasn't his agenda, it was who He was and how He viewed the world.
We can organize a lot of things but we cannot organize relationships. We cannot organize love and friendship. We cannot organize the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot organize loyalty and committment. We cannot organize grace. We cannot organize peace. Jesus was all those things and those virtues would spontaneously show themselves while he lived on earth.
I've seen a lot of organizations rise and fall but real friendship and real virtue seem to last forever. When life becomes too calculated and chock full of personal agenda's, there is very little room for spotanaeity. As I look over the years that have passed I enjoy the unplanned happenings and events the most. They feel and act like miracles. Spontaneous laughter is one of my favorites because you really can't laugh when something isn't funny. It just happens inside. It's an uncontrollable eruption in your belly!
Maybe I'm too much of a 60's guy. Our whole generation loved to just let it happen but I really do see God as a spontaneous, loving father and He made us the same way. So, the next time you burst out in laughter, give thanks to the Lord!
Implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.
I really like spontaneity! It is so real and so natural. It seems very God-like. It seems like that is how God is. God is all things good and I suppose that He is calculated in some of His doings but it seems that the pattern that Jesus gives us is a life of spontaneity around a mission. His mission and purpose was very clear but His everyday life seemed very spontaneous. He just let it happen. He was available to anyone that needed Him and He naturally involved himself in the everyday life of the people around him. He didn't seem to have one organizational bone in His body.
Life was not like that to Jesus. It was about freeing people from bondage. It was about breaking bread together. It was about opening the eyes of the blind whether it be natural blindness or spiritual blindness. He seemed to enjoy telling stories and interacting with folks. It wasn't his agenda, it was who He was and how He viewed the world.
We can organize a lot of things but we cannot organize relationships. We cannot organize love and friendship. We cannot organize the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot organize loyalty and committment. We cannot organize grace. We cannot organize peace. Jesus was all those things and those virtues would spontaneously show themselves while he lived on earth.
I've seen a lot of organizations rise and fall but real friendship and real virtue seem to last forever. When life becomes too calculated and chock full of personal agenda's, there is very little room for spotanaeity. As I look over the years that have passed I enjoy the unplanned happenings and events the most. They feel and act like miracles. Spontaneous laughter is one of my favorites because you really can't laugh when something isn't funny. It just happens inside. It's an uncontrollable eruption in your belly!
Maybe I'm too much of a 60's guy. Our whole generation loved to just let it happen but I really do see God as a spontaneous, loving father and He made us the same way. So, the next time you burst out in laughter, give thanks to the Lord!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Onward Christian Soldiers
I couldn't get this song out of my head this morning and I can't remember the last time that I heard it in a choir etc. I'm at a loss why this song keeps rolling around in my head other than the obvious interpretation of the lyrics.
Here are the Lyrics. What do they say to you? It may be that the Lord is trying to say something here. Take your time with the verses.
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,With the cross of Jesus going on before.Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;Forward into battle see His banners go!
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,With the cross of Jesus going on before.
At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
Like a mighty army moves the church of God;Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.We are not divided, all one body we,One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
What the saints established that I hold for true.What the saints believèd, that I believe too.Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.
Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,But the church of Jesus constant will remain.Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.
Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,This through countless ages men and angels sing.
Here are the Lyrics. What do they say to you? It may be that the Lord is trying to say something here. Take your time with the verses.
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,With the cross of Jesus going on before.Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;Forward into battle see His banners go!
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,With the cross of Jesus going on before.
At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
Like a mighty army moves the church of God;Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.We are not divided, all one body we,One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
What the saints established that I hold for true.What the saints believèd, that I believe too.Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.
Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,But the church of Jesus constant will remain.Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.
Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,This through countless ages men and angels sing.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
The Merger
Well, my time with Carlo eventually became an ongoing thing. We would meet together and talk about the Lord. Carlo seemed very interested in working together with me. I kind of got the feeling that his group was devoid of young people and that we were a quick solution to that problem. I was only 24 years old at the time. I had a house full of young people in love with the Lord and Carlo had a house full of of ex-church goers. I really didn't know how it would all work but I thought that a little bit of maturity couldn't hurt and so I soon began to integrate our kids with Carlo's folks. We met at a place called Branch Christian Center. It was a house that Carlo purchased adjacent to his gas station.
This was my first introduction to "churchianity". We met on Sunday and all sat in rows made up of fold up chairs. Carlo would preach to us and occasionally I would lead the worship time. It seemed a bit strange. It was kind of rigid and yet at the same time felt a little bit out of the box especially for Carlo's group. They were former Methodists, Presbyterians, and some were Baptist. I didn't know anything about any of those denominations because I had never in my life experienced traditional church. There was an edge about Carlo's group though. Things needed to be in order. There was a different expectancy as compared to our kids. We just wanted more of God. We had no agenda beyond that. Carlo seemed bent on having something grow. The whole atmosphere began to change. Our focus seemed to change. We were now trying to make the Branch Christian Center the center of our attention.
A startling event occurred after church one Sunday. We would ask folks to stay for prayer. I remember a lady named Liz coming up for prayer. One of the young fellas from my group layed his hands on her to pray and was stunned by Liz. She looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Don't lay hands on me with your smoke stained fingers!". She rebuked the young man publicly and we were all shocked and dismayed. My heart was so heavy. The young man was a young christian just trying to make his way and Liz crushed him.
This was lesson number one. It was hurtful and unnecessary. We really didn't know what we just walked into. Was it a church or a lions den? We weren't sure after Liz' tirade.
Next up.....
Religion replaces Love
This was my first introduction to "churchianity". We met on Sunday and all sat in rows made up of fold up chairs. Carlo would preach to us and occasionally I would lead the worship time. It seemed a bit strange. It was kind of rigid and yet at the same time felt a little bit out of the box especially for Carlo's group. They were former Methodists, Presbyterians, and some were Baptist. I didn't know anything about any of those denominations because I had never in my life experienced traditional church. There was an edge about Carlo's group though. Things needed to be in order. There was a different expectancy as compared to our kids. We just wanted more of God. We had no agenda beyond that. Carlo seemed bent on having something grow. The whole atmosphere began to change. Our focus seemed to change. We were now trying to make the Branch Christian Center the center of our attention.
A startling event occurred after church one Sunday. We would ask folks to stay for prayer. I remember a lady named Liz coming up for prayer. One of the young fellas from my group layed his hands on her to pray and was stunned by Liz. She looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Don't lay hands on me with your smoke stained fingers!". She rebuked the young man publicly and we were all shocked and dismayed. My heart was so heavy. The young man was a young christian just trying to make his way and Liz crushed him.
This was lesson number one. It was hurtful and unnecessary. We really didn't know what we just walked into. Was it a church or a lions den? We weren't sure after Liz' tirade.
Next up.....
Religion replaces Love
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
The Way of The World
I don't think many of us wake up in the morning grappling with the thought of what might influence our way of life during the day. It's almost absurd to think that we ought to spend very much of our time twiddling our thumbs and philosophising over life. I can observe my own life and history and see similar goals and aspirations that most Americans pursue. A major difference occurred after I came to know Christ. My pre-Christ days were pretty much the way of the world. Not all bad, not all good. I just couldn't see the world that I was in because I had never yet seen the kingdom of God. After coming to Christ, I began to view the world and life in the light of the Gospel message. Everything looked different. I could see the vanity for the first time. I could see the materialism and the self-made American lifestyle. I am grateful to live in this country but I am also aware of the pitfalls of having too much stuff. Too much stuff can steal your time and energy to the point that you have very little time left for the things that are most important to us.
The stress that exists in America is directly a result of falling into this trap. There are very few of us that have the courage to reverse that trend. Here's my measuring stick for having stuff. I can have stuff until it starts to have me. I can tell when what I own starts to own me. I feel bound and trapped and I have to make an adjustment. This is not easy for me because I like to go for it. I remember one decision that I made when my kids were in school. I decided to hire a staff for my business. I trained that staff to do the things that I could do without me being there. I didn't make as much money because I paid them to do my job. I was blessed by that decision. I rarely missed any of my kids activities in school and besides that my office ran like a well oiled machine. I received a number of Company awards during that time and I was only in the office 30 hours a week.
The way of the world can consume us and cost us plenty. Don't buy into it! Make an adjustment. The Lord has a rich life for all of us but His ways are not our ways. His ways are better because He knows what we really need. He knew that I loved being around my kids sports activities and I really believe that it was Him that convicted me of my former lifestyle and caused me to make a critical business decision. I can't imagine what it would have been like not seeing my daughter while she was cheer-leading or my sons while they were playing ball. I would have lost a great deal.
Just a thought as I contemplate 2008.
The stress that exists in America is directly a result of falling into this trap. There are very few of us that have the courage to reverse that trend. Here's my measuring stick for having stuff. I can have stuff until it starts to have me. I can tell when what I own starts to own me. I feel bound and trapped and I have to make an adjustment. This is not easy for me because I like to go for it. I remember one decision that I made when my kids were in school. I decided to hire a staff for my business. I trained that staff to do the things that I could do without me being there. I didn't make as much money because I paid them to do my job. I was blessed by that decision. I rarely missed any of my kids activities in school and besides that my office ran like a well oiled machine. I received a number of Company awards during that time and I was only in the office 30 hours a week.
The way of the world can consume us and cost us plenty. Don't buy into it! Make an adjustment. The Lord has a rich life for all of us but His ways are not our ways. His ways are better because He knows what we really need. He knew that I loved being around my kids sports activities and I really believe that it was Him that convicted me of my former lifestyle and caused me to make a critical business decision. I can't imagine what it would have been like not seeing my daughter while she was cheer-leading or my sons while they were playing ball. I would have lost a great deal.
Just a thought as I contemplate 2008.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Your Inner Circle For 2008
They say that over a course of a lifetime that you really only maintain a handful of close friends. Yes, there are many friendships and acquaintances that are meaningful but there is an inner circle of friends that know us better than anyone else. You can lose contact with this inner circle for a period of time but amazingly enough when you meet again you seem to be able to pick up right where you left off. Some of us lose touch with that inner circle for long periods of time and have serious struggles trying to find folks to replace them or fill the gap.
Jesus had an inner circle. He hung out with a few of His disciples more often than some of the others. It's a natural progression in life. I've noticed over the years that when I try and share my heart outside that inner circle that often times people will mis-interpret what I am trying to say because they just don't know me well enough. We all struggle with this because life in America inevitably begins to consume our time with great financial responsibility. We expend a lot of energy maintaining what we accumulate. I don't see accumulating wealth as a bad thing but I do notice that often time that the loss of real relationships is the ultimate price that we all pay. Our families can only supply so much of this intimacy.
I actually see that having friendships outside the family actually help with the relationships that we have inside the family. We too often expect too much from mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, in-laws and out-laws and such. Jesus called us friends. He also said that no greater love exists like the love of friends that are willing to lay down their life for you. I really think the "laying down of our lives" is more about giving our daily life and time to our friends. Esteeming them above ourselves. If you read the Bible you will see that Jesus was always available to folks. He never minded being interrupted. He would drop everything for anyone who came to Him.
That is real friendship. We all know someone who will stop what they are doing to hear us out and unselfishly give us their time. We do the same for them also and that is the beauty of real friendship. My hope for 2008 is that all of you that read this blog and beyond would seek out your inner circle and that the real issues of life become a part of your time together. Obviously, a bad inner circle of friends can be dangerous and so I trust that we all seek out a healthy inner circle of friends. Friendship is defined by the Lord. He created friendship as a staple for our existence.
Consider this for 2008. Jesus first called us to be His friend. Start your inner circle with Him and include Him with your other friends. Jesus loves real friendship. He doesn't need a religious context for that. In fact, He avoided the religious when He paid us a visit the first time.
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Jesus had an inner circle. He hung out with a few of His disciples more often than some of the others. It's a natural progression in life. I've noticed over the years that when I try and share my heart outside that inner circle that often times people will mis-interpret what I am trying to say because they just don't know me well enough. We all struggle with this because life in America inevitably begins to consume our time with great financial responsibility. We expend a lot of energy maintaining what we accumulate. I don't see accumulating wealth as a bad thing but I do notice that often time that the loss of real relationships is the ultimate price that we all pay. Our families can only supply so much of this intimacy.
I actually see that having friendships outside the family actually help with the relationships that we have inside the family. We too often expect too much from mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, in-laws and out-laws and such. Jesus called us friends. He also said that no greater love exists like the love of friends that are willing to lay down their life for you. I really think the "laying down of our lives" is more about giving our daily life and time to our friends. Esteeming them above ourselves. If you read the Bible you will see that Jesus was always available to folks. He never minded being interrupted. He would drop everything for anyone who came to Him.
That is real friendship. We all know someone who will stop what they are doing to hear us out and unselfishly give us their time. We do the same for them also and that is the beauty of real friendship. My hope for 2008 is that all of you that read this blog and beyond would seek out your inner circle and that the real issues of life become a part of your time together. Obviously, a bad inner circle of friends can be dangerous and so I trust that we all seek out a healthy inner circle of friends. Friendship is defined by the Lord. He created friendship as a staple for our existence.
Consider this for 2008. Jesus first called us to be His friend. Start your inner circle with Him and include Him with your other friends. Jesus loves real friendship. He doesn't need a religious context for that. In fact, He avoided the religious when He paid us a visit the first time.
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
