I have made up a few jokes of my own over the years but I've never really have had an invitation to do a stand up comedian gig. Part of the reason for that might be my material. I have no venue for these self-created gems and so I am going to without mercy dump them on you guys. Feel free to use them. Parental discretion is not needed.
Here's the first one!
What does a Nun have who has a hole in her cap?
Please scroll down for the answer.
A Bad Habit!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
A Witness to The Light
John 1:6-9
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
Could this possibly be you and me? Is this our God appointed purpose in life? Are we to be like John? We ourselves are not the light but we are witnesses to the light. If God has ever illuminated your life then you are a witness to the light. The light is most obvious and revealing when shined in the darkness. The light clearly reveals what has been hidden in darkness. What kinds of darkness are people living in? Are folks groping in the dark? Are they looking for a way out? Sure they are!
Folks in darkness need those of us who have come out of the darkness and into the light. They need to know how that happens. They need to hear from us but first we need to let them use us as sounding boards. That takes grace and patience and also asks us to go and meet these folks where they are instead of trying to drag them into a church service.
We who know Him are a witness to the Light just like John. We are not the Light but we can testify about Him because we have experienced His presence in our lives. This is what the human race is really seeking. Every human soul desires to return to its creator. We may not at first recognize this yearning as a spiritual yearning but there is a definite void in every person's life to return to their creator.
The Christian life isn't about church attendance, paradigm shifts or theology. It's about returning to Him and His purpose for our life. We have complicated the simple premise of the Gospel. The bottom line. You have never been loved until you have been loved by Him. Those of us that have experienced this great love are a witness to the light just like John.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
Could this possibly be you and me? Is this our God appointed purpose in life? Are we to be like John? We ourselves are not the light but we are witnesses to the light. If God has ever illuminated your life then you are a witness to the light. The light is most obvious and revealing when shined in the darkness. The light clearly reveals what has been hidden in darkness. What kinds of darkness are people living in? Are folks groping in the dark? Are they looking for a way out? Sure they are!
Folks in darkness need those of us who have come out of the darkness and into the light. They need to know how that happens. They need to hear from us but first we need to let them use us as sounding boards. That takes grace and patience and also asks us to go and meet these folks where they are instead of trying to drag them into a church service.
We who know Him are a witness to the Light just like John. We are not the Light but we can testify about Him because we have experienced His presence in our lives. This is what the human race is really seeking. Every human soul desires to return to its creator. We may not at first recognize this yearning as a spiritual yearning but there is a definite void in every person's life to return to their creator.
The Christian life isn't about church attendance, paradigm shifts or theology. It's about returning to Him and His purpose for our life. We have complicated the simple premise of the Gospel. The bottom line. You have never been loved until you have been loved by Him. Those of us that have experienced this great love are a witness to the light just like John.
Watching The News
I rarely watch television aside from Sports programming but I can't help but catch the news while surfing through the channels. The news is repeated continually 24 x 7, all day and all night. The amazing thing about watching the news for me is the little impact that it has on me. The news kind of portrays the height of man's dilemma. It can be a bit depressing because the news gives us a global summary of how destructive we are on this earth on a daily basis. Good news has been given a token allotment of time on most channels but the bad news is the majority of what we see on the tube.
I view the news as sort of atypical and irrelevant in the overall scheme of things. It kind of accentuates how caught up we are in ourselves. I love how all the movie stars get caught up in worthy causes like saving the whales and most recently the "Green" environmental movement about saving mother Earth. I'm all for clean air and bubbly whales but those causes seem to be way down at the bottom of the totem pole when you look at the state of mankind.
The "Good News" of the Gospel has been undermined by the 24 x 7 news crowd because their commentaries on the subject reflect the height of arrogance and deceit that grips the human soul. We actually think that we can analyze the Gospel and the things of God.
I was singing an old song in my quiet time this morning. Here is the first few verses to that song.
The Steadfast Love of The Lord Never Ceases.
His mercies Never Come To An End.
They are new every morning, new every morning
Great is Thy Faithfulness
It's only His love and Mercy that permits us to make a shamble of the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us. We are because He is. We live by His permission and most are oblivious to that ominous truth. There will come a day however, that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is the Lord. Until then, don't get too caught up in the news. It's only us talking to ourselves.
I view the news as sort of atypical and irrelevant in the overall scheme of things. It kind of accentuates how caught up we are in ourselves. I love how all the movie stars get caught up in worthy causes like saving the whales and most recently the "Green" environmental movement about saving mother Earth. I'm all for clean air and bubbly whales but those causes seem to be way down at the bottom of the totem pole when you look at the state of mankind.
The "Good News" of the Gospel has been undermined by the 24 x 7 news crowd because their commentaries on the subject reflect the height of arrogance and deceit that grips the human soul. We actually think that we can analyze the Gospel and the things of God.
I was singing an old song in my quiet time this morning. Here is the first few verses to that song.
The Steadfast Love of The Lord Never Ceases.
His mercies Never Come To An End.
They are new every morning, new every morning
Great is Thy Faithfulness
It's only His love and Mercy that permits us to make a shamble of the many blessings that He has bestowed upon us. We are because He is. We live by His permission and most are oblivious to that ominous truth. There will come a day however, that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is the Lord. Until then, don't get too caught up in the news. It's only us talking to ourselves.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Height of Ignorance
Ignorance is the condition of being uninformed or uneducated, lacking knowledge or information. It's hard to imagine anyone living in this country lacking enough information but it's not hard to understand the possibility that there are a whole lot of us that are mis-informed. The height of ignorance just might be our unwillingness to form value judgements about what we hear in the news, at work, and at our leisure. In this age of information overload it's very easy to get mind numbed by it all and just tune out on most of what we hear. The problem with that posture is that you may miss something valuable and even life changing.
We who know the Lord would seem to have an advantage when it comes to making value judgements about what we hear and what we see as we journey through life. Christians all over the nation read their Bibles and establish core beliefs from what they have read in the scriptures. Knowing what is right and what is wrong is important to so many. I have no doubt in my mind that knowing what is right is always better but I do have doubts about how we impart our rightness. We all know what it's like to be around a self righteous individual. It's unpleasant.
Jesus said it all on the cross, "Father, Forgive them, They know not what they do". Nothing has changed much since that time. We still don't know what we are doing. I am only speaking for myself here and I have to admit something that has become very real to me the last couple of weeks. The height of all ignorance for me is not knowing Him, not trusting in Him and not walking daily with Him. It doesn't matter how much I know because without Him my knowledge has no life or grace. I have accumulated a lot of info over the years but none of it compares to His life giving presence.
Father, Forgive me
I really don't know what I am doing.
We who know the Lord would seem to have an advantage when it comes to making value judgements about what we hear and what we see as we journey through life. Christians all over the nation read their Bibles and establish core beliefs from what they have read in the scriptures. Knowing what is right and what is wrong is important to so many. I have no doubt in my mind that knowing what is right is always better but I do have doubts about how we impart our rightness. We all know what it's like to be around a self righteous individual. It's unpleasant.
Jesus said it all on the cross, "Father, Forgive them, They know not what they do". Nothing has changed much since that time. We still don't know what we are doing. I am only speaking for myself here and I have to admit something that has become very real to me the last couple of weeks. The height of all ignorance for me is not knowing Him, not trusting in Him and not walking daily with Him. It doesn't matter how much I know because without Him my knowledge has no life or grace. I have accumulated a lot of info over the years but none of it compares to His life giving presence.
Father, Forgive me
I really don't know what I am doing.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Dome
Well, things were growing at Northfold New Testament Church and so was my family. Dar and I now had a houseful of munchkins. Our two boys, Aaron and Nathan, and our new little girl Callie were filling the Buhl house with all kinds of new, noisy, and wonderful experiences. The church needed a building to house all the new people and I can remember the late night elders meetings praying about a solution to that problem. The most economical of all our options was a geodesic dome that would annex our existing building and so the dome was built. I have a painful reminder of my participation in helping with the construction. I was using a sledge hammer to drive a stake into the ground and while holding the stake with my left hand I proceeded to smash the webbing between my thumb and index finger with the hammer and so I experienced the opposite of no pain, no gain.
The dome was literally assembled by the congregation. It brought us all together. It was a lot of fun. We were pioneering a new work and we were over-joyed with God's presence in our lives. It was an exciting time because what we were doing wasn't as common place back then as it is now. The break from traditional church style as well as a traditional looking building was kind of rare at the time and often looked at with skepticism.
The initial time spent in the dome was hallmarked by an up surge in worship. I led the worship most of the time during the services and the congregation had a huge appetite for praise and worship music. They loved honoring God this way and enjoyed the worship experience. It made my job much easier because the air of expectation was so high and the Lord received our praise with great gratitude. The Spirit was present much of the time and so things would happen spontaneously during our worship. Northfold was a worshiping church and I sensed all the while that we were touching the heart of the Father. Pastor Ron's teaching style on Sunday morning was low key, cutting edge and inspirational. The dome was nothing more than a better place to assemble. It seated about 400 and it was usually filled on Sunday's. In hindsight, I really don't think that the building itself ever became an obstacle between us and the Lord.
All was well at the dome for a good while but hell was about to break loose. We didn't know enough about spiritual warfare at the time to prepare ourselves for the eventual onslaught of attack that would shake our most foundational beliefs and test our loyalty. The next part of our journey was not going to be smooth. In fact, our will to go on was about to be tested.
There is one invaluable lesson that I started to learn from the Lord during this time and it had to do with God's basis of promotion. God promotes out of faithfulness more than any other virtue. Talent is good to have but can be deemed worthless if there is no commitment. We often call these heavily commited folks "over achievers". God calls them faithful. Our congregation at the dome was about to get it's first real test at faithfulness.
Next up.....
We Lose a Loved One....
The dome was literally assembled by the congregation. It brought us all together. It was a lot of fun. We were pioneering a new work and we were over-joyed with God's presence in our lives. It was an exciting time because what we were doing wasn't as common place back then as it is now. The break from traditional church style as well as a traditional looking building was kind of rare at the time and often looked at with skepticism.
The initial time spent in the dome was hallmarked by an up surge in worship. I led the worship most of the time during the services and the congregation had a huge appetite for praise and worship music. They loved honoring God this way and enjoyed the worship experience. It made my job much easier because the air of expectation was so high and the Lord received our praise with great gratitude. The Spirit was present much of the time and so things would happen spontaneously during our worship. Northfold was a worshiping church and I sensed all the while that we were touching the heart of the Father. Pastor Ron's teaching style on Sunday morning was low key, cutting edge and inspirational. The dome was nothing more than a better place to assemble. It seated about 400 and it was usually filled on Sunday's. In hindsight, I really don't think that the building itself ever became an obstacle between us and the Lord.
All was well at the dome for a good while but hell was about to break loose. We didn't know enough about spiritual warfare at the time to prepare ourselves for the eventual onslaught of attack that would shake our most foundational beliefs and test our loyalty. The next part of our journey was not going to be smooth. In fact, our will to go on was about to be tested.
There is one invaluable lesson that I started to learn from the Lord during this time and it had to do with God's basis of promotion. God promotes out of faithfulness more than any other virtue. Talent is good to have but can be deemed worthless if there is no commitment. We often call these heavily commited folks "over achievers". God calls them faithful. Our congregation at the dome was about to get it's first real test at faithfulness.
Next up.....
We Lose a Loved One....
Thursday, May 22, 2008
"Do Drop In"
I was kind of imagining a kind of hangout for brothers and sisters in the Lord and within my minds eye I envisioned a place called "The Do Drop In". It doesn't resemble a traditional church structure in architectural design nor does it have the Sunday Morning time slot associated with it. It's more like a place that folks just "drop in" for fellowship of anykind. I see different kinds of things going on in the Do Drop In. People reading books, drinking coffee, asking questions. They may stop before work or after work. The retired folks can hang around during the daytime. More than that, I can see freedom of expression and openness to things going on in everyday life.
Mini-events would be cool. Little seminars on a variety of topics would spruce up the weeks activities. Planning a fishing trip with a bunch of brothers and a hang out for the ladies to share their best recipes sounds very interesting(I have a selfish interest in the new recipe idea). The synergy of the Do Drop In would be driven by dynamics that are not pre-programmed but for the most part reactionary. In other words, life raises a lot of questions. If someone has one, then it would behoove the rest of the folks to gather together to help respond to the question at hand. There are many un-answered questions in life and questions that people are just too afraid to ask and so consequently they go through life confused and full of doubt.
Just thinkin' out loud!
Thanks for Dropping in!
Mini-events would be cool. Little seminars on a variety of topics would spruce up the weeks activities. Planning a fishing trip with a bunch of brothers and a hang out for the ladies to share their best recipes sounds very interesting(I have a selfish interest in the new recipe idea). The synergy of the Do Drop In would be driven by dynamics that are not pre-programmed but for the most part reactionary. In other words, life raises a lot of questions. If someone has one, then it would behoove the rest of the folks to gather together to help respond to the question at hand. There are many un-answered questions in life and questions that people are just too afraid to ask and so consequently they go through life confused and full of doubt.
Just thinkin' out loud!
Thanks for Dropping in!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The Lord is My Shepherd.....
The Lord is My Shepherd. I shall not want. Wow! What a mouthful but is it true to my heart? Sometimes I think that I am in dire straits and in such great need but in reality He is my shepherd and everything that I need is already there. When I wander away I start to feel the affects of the lack of relationship and feeling needy and worrying about things here on earth are symptoms of not spending time with the Great Shepherd. There is nothing in this earth that can give me eternal security anyway, so what's the fuss? Yes, I must be a good steward of what has been alotted to me but not at the expense of losing touch with the Great Shepherd.
My life and all its complicating circumstances are completely minimized as I draw closer to Him. Lord, you are there. I will never be alone. You promised me a comforter. He is the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I love your protection and your loving guidance. Help me to keep my heart close to the great Shepherd. Help all who read this to draw closer to Him so that they can reap the benefits of real security.
I suppose that real sheep are pretty dumb sometimes and tend to wander. Lord, just poke me with your staff to keep me in line with your purposes and your calling on my life.
My life and all its complicating circumstances are completely minimized as I draw closer to Him. Lord, you are there. I will never be alone. You promised me a comforter. He is the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I love your protection and your loving guidance. Help me to keep my heart close to the great Shepherd. Help all who read this to draw closer to Him so that they can reap the benefits of real security.
I suppose that real sheep are pretty dumb sometimes and tend to wander. Lord, just poke me with your staff to keep me in line with your purposes and your calling on my life.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
We Change... He Doesn't
Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
I'm sure that I have changed a couple of times over the years. How about you?
God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Psalm 33:11
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
I'm sure that I have changed a couple of times over the years. How about you?
Friday, May 16, 2008
The Splendor of His Grace
He is gracious enough to let you breathe. He is gracious enough to let you see the beauty of His creation. He is gracious enough let you use his earth for your own pleasure. He is gracious enough to give you taste so that you can enjoy good food. He is gracious enough to give the sense of smell for all the beautiful flowers and varieties of coffee. He is gracious enough to give you talent to do things and be gratified. He is gracious enough to give you offspring named after you. He is gracious enough to let you invent games and sport to enjoy in your leasure. He is gracious enough to let you reject Him. He is gracious enough to let you hear the sounds of His creation. He is gracious enough to let you make your own way. He is gracious enough to give you friends. He is gracious enough to give you laughter. He is gracious enough to give you freedom.
He is gracious enough to let you create works of art and musical expression. He is gracious enough to send himself in a human body so that we could see Him in the flesh. He is gracious enough to let us govern the world. He is gracious enough to give us loving pets. He is gracious enough to give us imagination. He is gracious enough to let us create the TV show Lost, watch ESPN and the World Series. He is gracious enough let us catch fish out of the sea. He is gracious enough to let us celebrate achievements. He is gracious enough to let us grow things in a garden.
If you would like to add to this list, please chime in! He is such a wonderful God!
His GRACE be with you!
He is gracious enough to let you create works of art and musical expression. He is gracious enough to send himself in a human body so that we could see Him in the flesh. He is gracious enough to let us govern the world. He is gracious enough to give us loving pets. He is gracious enough to give us imagination. He is gracious enough to let us create the TV show Lost, watch ESPN and the World Series. He is gracious enough let us catch fish out of the sea. He is gracious enough to let us celebrate achievements. He is gracious enough to let us grow things in a garden.
If you would like to add to this list, please chime in! He is such a wonderful God!
His GRACE be with you!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Freedom Fighter..
"Freedom fighter" is a relativistic term for those engaged in rebellion against an established government or regime that they consider to be oppressive. That seems like a very broad definition because terrorists can lay claim to being freedom fighters. When we read the Bible we read a lot of verses about how Jesus came to set us free. Free from what? The popular opinion about Jesus the Freedom fighter is that He came to set us free from the power of sin. That's another very broad brush as well.
Sometimes I can understand why folks never completely understand the Gospel. Jesus was the greatest freedom fighter of all time and yet many of us have never experienced the freedom that He has made available to us through His ordeal on the Cross because we don't see how that actually applies to our lives here on earth. We wrap everything that He did on the cross into one big bundle called eternal salvation. If that's the case, then our first day of eternity with God starts the day that we turn our life over to Him. Well then, if we are such eternal heavenly beings after we come to Jesus, why do so many of us live our life on earth like we've all gone to hell.
I'm not as concerned about life after death as I am with my life before death. Our lives on earth are plagued with forces of evil and rebellion. You can see it in a little child very early. They want to do what they want to do when they want to do it. That cute little rebellious behavior in a child when unbridled by parental guidance can grow into a monster when they become an adult.
Jesus is also said to have come to set the captives free. Here are a few things that can hold us hostage that you may not at first recognize as things that can imprison you.
1. Your Past
2. Religion
3. Shyness
4. Your Knowledge
5. Your Failures
6. People you have empowered.
7. Jealousy
All of these things and more can hold us hostage and God's enemy looks at these weaknesses in our life and uses them to drive a wedge between us and the Lord. Jesus, the greatest freedom fighter of all time can free us from all of these things and fill those voids with God's best for us.
If I'm free from the past, I can enjoy the present.
This is one that I have toiled with for a long time. I have always loved my past. As you get older there is a natural tendency to discuss the past because all of the sudden there are more days behind you than ahead of you but for a child of God that understands his eternity the past is a blip on the radar. When God frees you, time and age cannot imprison you anymore.
Think about the things that bring you down. Bring those hurtful things to Jesus and He will drive out the forces of evil that prey upon your weakness and then he will break open the doors of your prison and set you free. He will send you help and His Spirit will guide you. He is faithful. I'm living proof. He just freed me from a lifetime of imprisonment this past week. Believe me, He is there waiting for you to come to Him. He is real. He is active. His Spirit is redeeming many all over this world. You can be another. Don't hesitate to call on Him. Have brothers and sisters soak you in prayer and watch His Spirit work on your behalf.
For God So Loved.....
Sometimes I can understand why folks never completely understand the Gospel. Jesus was the greatest freedom fighter of all time and yet many of us have never experienced the freedom that He has made available to us through His ordeal on the Cross because we don't see how that actually applies to our lives here on earth. We wrap everything that He did on the cross into one big bundle called eternal salvation. If that's the case, then our first day of eternity with God starts the day that we turn our life over to Him. Well then, if we are such eternal heavenly beings after we come to Jesus, why do so many of us live our life on earth like we've all gone to hell.
I'm not as concerned about life after death as I am with my life before death. Our lives on earth are plagued with forces of evil and rebellion. You can see it in a little child very early. They want to do what they want to do when they want to do it. That cute little rebellious behavior in a child when unbridled by parental guidance can grow into a monster when they become an adult.
Jesus is also said to have come to set the captives free. Here are a few things that can hold us hostage that you may not at first recognize as things that can imprison you.
1. Your Past
2. Religion
3. Shyness
4. Your Knowledge
5. Your Failures
6. People you have empowered.
7. Jealousy
All of these things and more can hold us hostage and God's enemy looks at these weaknesses in our life and uses them to drive a wedge between us and the Lord. Jesus, the greatest freedom fighter of all time can free us from all of these things and fill those voids with God's best for us.
If I'm free from the past, I can enjoy the present.
This is one that I have toiled with for a long time. I have always loved my past. As you get older there is a natural tendency to discuss the past because all of the sudden there are more days behind you than ahead of you but for a child of God that understands his eternity the past is a blip on the radar. When God frees you, time and age cannot imprison you anymore.
Think about the things that bring you down. Bring those hurtful things to Jesus and He will drive out the forces of evil that prey upon your weakness and then he will break open the doors of your prison and set you free. He will send you help and His Spirit will guide you. He is faithful. I'm living proof. He just freed me from a lifetime of imprisonment this past week. Believe me, He is there waiting for you to come to Him. He is real. He is active. His Spirit is redeeming many all over this world. You can be another. Don't hesitate to call on Him. Have brothers and sisters soak you in prayer and watch His Spirit work on your behalf.
For God So Loved.....
Monday, May 12, 2008
Revival of The Fittest
Are you fit for a revival? I mean a personal revival. Wouldn't it be cool if you could click on a refresh button and get revived. Sometimes there are things blocking a clear path between you and the Lord. Sometimes we don't even know what they are. I can tell you this much. When the barriers are removed you will be ecstatic and ripe for a refresh. You may not know exactly what is causing all the malaise. Trust the Lord with all your heart and please DO NOT RELY UPON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. The Lord is faithful. Most of us need freedom from obstacles in our life that are not always that obvious to us at first but the Lord knows what they are and He knows when to remove them.
You can't really sense a personal revival until you are pretty much dead and so if you feel kind of dry and it seems like you are wandering around in the wilderness then I would say that you are getting fit for revival. It will take some effort on your part. You have to keep pushing the envelope until something gives. You might have to whine a little bit. You might even look a little bit clumsy but the humility of the whole thing will do you a lot of good. The humility is the final piece in making you fit for revival.
The cool thing about the humbling before a personal revival is that it is the Lord that does the humbling. There can be no false humility on your part. That doesn't make you fit at all. It has to be the Lord to produce the right results.
I Samuel 2:7
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
Be encouraged! You just might be getting fit for revival!
You can't really sense a personal revival until you are pretty much dead and so if you feel kind of dry and it seems like you are wandering around in the wilderness then I would say that you are getting fit for revival. It will take some effort on your part. You have to keep pushing the envelope until something gives. You might have to whine a little bit. You might even look a little bit clumsy but the humility of the whole thing will do you a lot of good. The humility is the final piece in making you fit for revival.
The cool thing about the humbling before a personal revival is that it is the Lord that does the humbling. There can be no false humility on your part. That doesn't make you fit at all. It has to be the Lord to produce the right results.
I Samuel 2:7
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
Be encouraged! You just might be getting fit for revival!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
His Love Sustains Us All
When you think of all the treachery that occurs on the earth everyday and when you see the countless indifference to God that is displayed throughout the world then you have to wonder just a little why God doesn't pull the plug on the whole thing. When I think of my own life I can honestly say that it is a piece of work that is constantly under re-construction. The imperfection within my own being is enough to make me wonder why God doesn't pull the plug on me. All that being said, God's love has to be so extravagant and so far reaching that it becomes incomprehensible to the human mind.
We are obviously preoccupied with our own survival and all of of those things that keep and protect our very own existence and yet many of us rarely take the time to pursue the meaning of it all. I guess that stopping to do that kind of introspection might cost us something in the here and now. Maybe the whole idea of doing something like that might be thought of as way out there and would be best left to those "called" to pursue such things. There is one little caveat however, that we cannot avoid about our life. Down deep inside we literally groan to know our creator. There is a deep void to know Him and return to Him. We may not consciously recognize what is going on inside as we live out our days but our pursuit and journey through life is merely our desire and opportunity to connect with Him and His purpose for our life.
What is sustaining us all? Why are we permitted to live in this world when so many of us refuse to even acknowledge God? Why are there so many of us that say we acknowledge Him but live our life as if He doesn't even exist? Why are we permitted to live in this irreverant charade? We say that God loves us all the time. Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so. Most of us know the Gospel story about Jesus coming to earth to rescue us from ourselves because He knew that we couldn't do it on our own and yet many still reject His great love. That kind of rejection would be deadly if it happened to you or me. Most of us would not have the capacity to love after such great rejection and if we had any love left, we would be hard pressed to sustain it.
Yes, we live, we breathe and we pursue life because He permits it and He permits it because He loves His creation more than we will ever understand on this side of eternity. It's not what we know that sustains us. It's not our experience that sustains us. It's not any earthly goal that sustains us. It's not our families and friends that sustain us. It all stays together because He loves.
When all else fails we can rely upon these words from the Psalmist David
"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me"
We are obviously preoccupied with our own survival and all of of those things that keep and protect our very own existence and yet many of us rarely take the time to pursue the meaning of it all. I guess that stopping to do that kind of introspection might cost us something in the here and now. Maybe the whole idea of doing something like that might be thought of as way out there and would be best left to those "called" to pursue such things. There is one little caveat however, that we cannot avoid about our life. Down deep inside we literally groan to know our creator. There is a deep void to know Him and return to Him. We may not consciously recognize what is going on inside as we live out our days but our pursuit and journey through life is merely our desire and opportunity to connect with Him and His purpose for our life.
What is sustaining us all? Why are we permitted to live in this world when so many of us refuse to even acknowledge God? Why are there so many of us that say we acknowledge Him but live our life as if He doesn't even exist? Why are we permitted to live in this irreverant charade? We say that God loves us all the time. Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so. Most of us know the Gospel story about Jesus coming to earth to rescue us from ourselves because He knew that we couldn't do it on our own and yet many still reject His great love. That kind of rejection would be deadly if it happened to you or me. Most of us would not have the capacity to love after such great rejection and if we had any love left, we would be hard pressed to sustain it.
Yes, we live, we breathe and we pursue life because He permits it and He permits it because He loves His creation more than we will ever understand on this side of eternity. It's not what we know that sustains us. It's not our experience that sustains us. It's not any earthly goal that sustains us. It's not our families and friends that sustain us. It all stays together because He loves.
When all else fails we can rely upon these words from the Psalmist David
"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me"
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Young Elder...
Things were moving pretty fast at Northfold New Testament Church. We were growing and it was obvious that this little recording studio was not going to hold all the people that were coming. We met in home groups all over the North Hills. It seemed very much like a church on a mission. It was very mobile and not impaired by a huge building complex. There was a conquering kind of attitude going on and that suited me well because I loved victories in sports and so conquering for the Kingdom of God was an awesome experience.
My role expanded from worship leader to once a month Sunday morning preaching and so I was experiencing church for the first time in my life as a "pulpiteer" and not a pew sitter. My time was consumed with spiritual responsibilities as well as my secular work in the insurance business. Things progressed very fast at Northfold for me. Before I knew it, I was on staff full time with Pastor Ron and I was appointed an Elder at the ripe old age of 29. I remember staying up until 3:00 am at Elders meetings that we had in a trailer adjacent to the building. We would wrestle with spiritual battles and pray in earnest for the people that God put on our heart. The business of church was creeping in as well because we were starting to grow financially.
I still felt a bit intimidated by a lot of this. It wasn't much like what I had experienced early on in West Virginia but it was leaps and bounds better than anything I experienced at Carlo's church. Dar and I had our second son Nathan and so our immediate family was growing as well. In hindsight, the church planting phase of growing Northfold was much more organized than my little band of Indians down in Follansbee. There were just too many people and therefore a lot more responsibility. It was exciting though. There was a real love for Jesus and many moments that we experienced life giving touches from the Holy Spirit.
I was a 29 year old elder and so I rode that pony the best I could. HI HO! Silver Away!
Next up......
The Dome
My role expanded from worship leader to once a month Sunday morning preaching and so I was experiencing church for the first time in my life as a "pulpiteer" and not a pew sitter. My time was consumed with spiritual responsibilities as well as my secular work in the insurance business. Things progressed very fast at Northfold for me. Before I knew it, I was on staff full time with Pastor Ron and I was appointed an Elder at the ripe old age of 29. I remember staying up until 3:00 am at Elders meetings that we had in a trailer adjacent to the building. We would wrestle with spiritual battles and pray in earnest for the people that God put on our heart. The business of church was creeping in as well because we were starting to grow financially.
I still felt a bit intimidated by a lot of this. It wasn't much like what I had experienced early on in West Virginia but it was leaps and bounds better than anything I experienced at Carlo's church. Dar and I had our second son Nathan and so our immediate family was growing as well. In hindsight, the church planting phase of growing Northfold was much more organized than my little band of Indians down in Follansbee. There were just too many people and therefore a lot more responsibility. It was exciting though. There was a real love for Jesus and many moments that we experienced life giving touches from the Holy Spirit.
I was a 29 year old elder and so I rode that pony the best I could. HI HO! Silver Away!
Next up......
The Dome
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Presumptuous Prophet
The Book of Deuteronomy is full of warnings and exhortations and often addresses the ministry of the prophet. The prophet's credibility was often at issue and it appears that the prophets that missed the mark more often than not were those whom presumed upon the Lord.
The Lord would promise to raise up a prophet to speak on his behalf and so it was imperative that the prophet hear clearly from the Lord before speaking.
Deuteronomy 18:22
If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
To be presumptuous is to take liberties without permission. I would have to say that this has been the posture of most of the churches that I have encountered. I also have to admit that I have played this silly game myself. Can you imagine the gamut of ministry that exists that is purely self-initiated and under the false presumption that God will be pleased with all that we initiate in His name. We have built mega- economic empires in His name. We have invented our own revivals. We are desperate to manufacture the things of God that we read about in the scripture.
I empathize with the desire to see these things happen but we cannot possibly manufacture the things that only God can do.
I remember in the early 70's when the Holy Spirit began to manifest Himself at different places in the USA. There was an ecumenical movement of huge influence born right here in Pittsburgh. In fact, it started in my back yard at a Catholic convent in Gibsonia. A group of nun's were seeking the Lord in prayer and the Holy Spirit came upon them in a mighty way and began to fan the flames of revival throughout the tri-state area. I was able to participate in this awakening by the Spirit. We were trying to keep up with what the Spirit was doing throughout the area. We weren't trying to manufacture anything. It was something to behold.
I've seen what God can do and I've seen what we attempt to do without Him. One is alive and exciting and the other is all work and very religious. A lifeless effort and lack of real spiritual power is what our presumptuous posturing produces. I know that God has blessed some of our effort but that is the grace that He extends to us anyway. We do the same when our kids presume upon us.
What do we need to do? We need to stop and say, "Lord, we do not know what you want". "We do not know what we are doing."" We have been arrogant and been doing our own thing way too long.
We don't want to be like the presumptuous prophet who was never taken seriously. We all want a real vital life giving relationship with the almighty God. The first step may to be to stop presuming that He's into what we are doing on His behalf and admitting our need to start afresh with Him.
The Lord would promise to raise up a prophet to speak on his behalf and so it was imperative that the prophet hear clearly from the Lord before speaking.
Deuteronomy 18:22
If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
To be presumptuous is to take liberties without permission. I would have to say that this has been the posture of most of the churches that I have encountered. I also have to admit that I have played this silly game myself. Can you imagine the gamut of ministry that exists that is purely self-initiated and under the false presumption that God will be pleased with all that we initiate in His name. We have built mega- economic empires in His name. We have invented our own revivals. We are desperate to manufacture the things of God that we read about in the scripture.
I empathize with the desire to see these things happen but we cannot possibly manufacture the things that only God can do.
I remember in the early 70's when the Holy Spirit began to manifest Himself at different places in the USA. There was an ecumenical movement of huge influence born right here in Pittsburgh. In fact, it started in my back yard at a Catholic convent in Gibsonia. A group of nun's were seeking the Lord in prayer and the Holy Spirit came upon them in a mighty way and began to fan the flames of revival throughout the tri-state area. I was able to participate in this awakening by the Spirit. We were trying to keep up with what the Spirit was doing throughout the area. We weren't trying to manufacture anything. It was something to behold.
I've seen what God can do and I've seen what we attempt to do without Him. One is alive and exciting and the other is all work and very religious. A lifeless effort and lack of real spiritual power is what our presumptuous posturing produces. I know that God has blessed some of our effort but that is the grace that He extends to us anyway. We do the same when our kids presume upon us.
What do we need to do? We need to stop and say, "Lord, we do not know what you want". "We do not know what we are doing."" We have been arrogant and been doing our own thing way too long.
We don't want to be like the presumptuous prophet who was never taken seriously. We all want a real vital life giving relationship with the almighty God. The first step may to be to stop presuming that He's into what we are doing on His behalf and admitting our need to start afresh with Him.
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