Disconnectivity

I've been thinking again so here goes. Have you ever thought about this?

With today’s modern technology we have the means to connect with anyone anywhere in the world at anytime. We’ve come to a point in our civilization where we’re networking and forming these “electronic societies” if you will, with two, hundreds or even thousands of people to play games, share information, view events, transfer thought and even create new identities through Avatars like in Second Life. As a matter of fact I know of someone who has over three or five thousand friends on facebook but probably hasn't personally met many of them. Technology is an awesome thing…but that’s exactly what it is, it’s “a thing.” It has created a way for us to be connected by actually becoming disconnected. Even though it’s a great “thing” it’s afforded us the availability to not be present. I believe just like video gaming has changed the way our youth compete, technology has also given us the justification to have contact but not really have contact. I’m not against technology, (I’m blogging here) but I miss that personal relational connection we’ve seemed to have severed with a wireless connection. Now don’t get me wrong I’m all for technology, I love it, I just want to know what happened to meeting with me instead of e-mailing me!
Just a random rambling from Reverend Ron.

Hey, I'm still here!

I am! I just haven't had time to write. And actually I still don't but I'm writting this while I'm waiting on something to print (multi-tasking) something the male gender usually has a hard time doing, or so I'm told all the time. But anyways, here's either a deep theological question or just a silly one, you be the judge. If we never seem to have time to do the things we enjoy doing in this life and someone tells us that we have to "make time" to do it...then in the process of making time does that make us more like God because He made time in the first place? OK that's just silly.

Anyways till the next time, or till the next time we meet, or till I get more time whichever comes first,

signing off - me

Well, here we are again.

Here we are again and it's Sunday. To some who will be in service today it will be a routine, a "I have to" thing. But to me it's a "I get to" thing. For most it's about doing what's right and doing what they feel they're supposed to do, but to me it's what my entire week, my entire life for that matter is all about. I live and breath for Sunday. Now don't get me wrong, I still get nervous when I get in front of people but I love and live for preaching the Gospel. The days I don't get the opportunity to speak I really miss it. Who wouldn't want to talk or teach about the person they love more than life itself? Listen, if Sunday has become a "Well, here we are again" hum-drum response to us then that's what we will receive, a hum-drum experience. But if we are totally stoked and excited about meeting with others to sing, give and experience God's presence then we understand what it's all about. Anyways, gotta go drive a van to pick people up...going after that one (or 12) depends on who gets out of bed this morning.

Shalom out!

Mass Street Memories

Hey just got back home from eating with my lovely wife, my brother and sister in law at Buffalo Bobs on Mass street in Lawrence. Man it really brought back some memories. My wife and I used to eat there alot back in the day. We had good times with good friends. It was really nice and something different yet felt so familiar. Then we went across the street to The Signs of Life Christian book store and checked out the art upstairs in the gallery. It was very inspiring.

This Sunday

"Love is a many splendored thing"...or is it…"Love is a many splintered thing?"

Since its February we've been talking about love in our morning services. This week's title is "Love Hurts." You know love can move us and make us who we are. It can be a beautiful thing or it can be a burdensome thing. Love can motivate us into doing something supernatural or it can motivate us into doing something super silly. But whatever love may be to you or I, love is something that definitely moves the heart of God.

As a matter of fact scripture tells us that God is Love. But the fact is He's real love not what the world defines as love. And He proved it to us when He sent His only Son to show us that He'd rather die than live without us. Now that's love and proves that sometimes love hurts.

pastor rons block, I mean blog

Hey I haven't written anything lately because I think I'm experiencing writers block, or I guess now days it should be called "typers block" right? I don't know why but it's just not coming to me so I decided to write/type about my not being able to write/type. Which in turn gives me something to write/type about. Speaking of typing, I'm reminded of why I know how to type in the first place. My father actually gave me advice when I was in high school in the 70's and that advice was to take typing class. And at first I thought, "Hey I'm a dude, what's a dude need typing for?" But I went ahead and signed up for the class and I'm glad I did. Because besides the fact that typing is a real handy thing to know for today's computer usage, I was the only "Dude" in a classroom full of girls. Man my dad was a smart man and I really miss him and mom. Oh well signing off from my writing/typing about not being able to write/type.

Yours truly, Blessed

The Pursuit

Hey it's me again. We just had what I thought was an awesome service this morning. I had the opportunity to deliver a message I've titled "The Pursuit of Happiness." Essentially we talked about what it takes to be a man or a woman after God's heart like David and we came to the conclusion that in order to be a man after God's heart, or a man in the pursuit of God's happiness, you don't have to be perfect you just have to be perfectly honest with God and with yourself about your sins. And you have to be totally obedient to God and to His Word with your life. Then a friend in the church stood and gave a word that God had given him that was anointed and totally a confirmation for the message. God is always amazing me that way, because He's just totally amazing.

Valentines Day

Well today's Valentines Day. The day we're to express our love to the one we say we love. Do you buy them candy, cards, flower or gifts? Or do you eat at Old Chigao's and then set on the couch and watch something you DVR'd and then pass the blood pressure cuff? Sure! That's what we're doing. Hope you've had Happy Valentines Day too!

Seriously Scary

I'm watching this show on the Sci-Fi channel titled 'Scariest Places on Earth' and this family is getting ready to do a dare and spend the night in a place called Chillingham Castle. This castle is where people were tortured and theory has it their spirits still inhabit the castle. Then they're showing the Paris Catacombs and of course the host of the show happens to be Linda Blair who played in the first Exorcist movie.

Now what they do in this show is they send people out to roam around in these scary places late at night and they always end up seeing all these scary things and hearing all these scary sounds. The episode I can't wait for is the one where they send a family into the Ottawa Wal-mart after midnight on a Saturday night. That's one of the scariest places on earth to me.

Metamorphosis

Monday I was eating at Subway and as I was conversing with whom I was with I noticed this older couple come in, order their food and sit down next to us in the booth just west of us. Now I noticed them as they entered because he was walking very slowly as if to keep his balance because of his age. As we were finishing our lunch I noticed he and his wife stood and she went out to their car but he headed straight for our table. He looked at me and asked, "Haven't we met before?" And I politely replied, "I'm not sure, but you look very familiar." Well to make a very very long story short he was 82 years old and he was a Gideon and had his heart set on getting me saved.

But then he asked what I did for a living and I had to tell him I was a pastor. But that's when he said something that has stuck with me. He said, "You know being a Gideon I hand out bibles all the time and when I first started I thought this was going to be easy, but you know what?...It's not...it's not been easy." I agreed wholeheartedly with him and then he decided to tell me where he lived and I could drop by his house anytime I wanted, as long as he was home.

I've been thinking about what he said, how it's not easy handing out the Word. It's not easy to tell others about the Gospel even though it is called the Good News. But what hit me later was that even though he admitted it wasn't easy he didn't let that stop him from going up to a total stranger at a Subway to tell them about God and His only Son. Oh yea, did I mention he was 82?

Listen to my heart on this, when he came in the restaurant that day I saw just a feeble old gentleman I felt sorry for, but he left as this strong man with a boldness that only the Spirit of God can give and I no longer felt sorry for him, I totally admired him. Oh God give us the strength to not only live for you but to tell others about you and help us to deliver your Word no matter how hard it seems or how old we become.

Hope this makes sense!

Have you ever thought about hope before?

Now I don’t mean just think about what hope means to you, or think about your hopes and dreams, but I’m talking about Gods hope. Have you ever thought about the fact that God may have hope? I was thinking about this, this morning and in my opinion I believe He does. You see I believe that each and every one of us has a God given purpose and since we have a ‘God given’ purpose then that means God hopes we will be driven to accomplish that purpose in our lives. (Not to copy off Rick Warren but it’s just a biblical truth.) I believe God has many hopes but one I know He has is that we will strive to be like His Son, and spend eternity with Him. 2 Peter 3.9 says in the [NIV] that "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." In other words, He has hope that everyone will choose to follow His plan for their lives. I think that’s why He’s given us our free wills because He’s hoping we will willing choose to follow Him out of love and respect, hoping we will fulfill our purpose of not only accepting His Grace and Mercy to make it to heaven but hoping we will fulfill our purpose of being whoever He’s called us to be while we’re still in these earthly bodies.

So what are your hopes, and do they line up with Gods hopes? Are our hopes and dreams His hopes and dreams for our lives? How do we know? Well I was thinking about this too, the best way to know is to first, read the Word and find those scriptures that describe God desires for His people. Then second, when you pray instead of asking Him to do for you, ask Him what you can do for Him then do it, and if you feel fulfilled then maybe you've fulfilled one of His hopes for your life.

relationships part 2

About relationships; the last blog was about the void we can feel as humans when we're separated from God. The void or sensation the "created" experience when disconnected from its Creator.

Is this void or sensation what we’re trying to fill, or maybe not feel when we use drugs, alcohol or get hooked into relationships that we know are wrong or bad for us? I believe it’s not only probable but it's highly possible.

But actually there are other void-fillers we often overlook that are a result of us trying to fill the God-void besides drugs or booze. What about jobs? How about our family’s or friends? You see, anything that takes the place of God in our lives can end up becoming this sad substitute for our much needed relationship with our Creator. The way to "avoid the void" is by not avoiding God, His Word or prayer in our everyday lives.

...TO BE CONTINUED

Relationships…ever notice how we love, live and long to have them? Here’s a thought, since God created us to not only worship Him but also to have a relationship with Him does this mean that the human desire to defy loneliness is possibly a divine emotion? Would it be blasphemous, sacrilegious, irreverent or offensive if I were to suggest that God might actually know what it’s like to be lonely? Well you might say “God is God, He could never be lonesome.” But yet I would ask, what about the second person of the triune God head? What about God incarnate, the Son of the Living God? One of the seven sayings that scripture records Jesus uttering from the cross happens to be a cry of aloneness, “My God, My God why has thou forsaken me?” I don’t know if you hear what I hear, but I hear an unbridled plea of unwanted solitude in this question. So is this possibly why as humans we harbor an indescribable desire to fill the undesirable vacuum that resonates within our souls when we live a life apart from our creator? . . . TO BE CONTINUED.

Valentines Day

Hey guys! Valentines Day's coming up next Saturday!

You know in my opinion, this holiday seems to have become "one-sided." Seriously, why is it that it's all about the female gender of our race? I thought it was about love in general. I mean just like in any relationship it takes two, right? Since my wife is my sweetheart, then that makes me her sweetheart. So why is it us guys aren't getting candy and roses, or tools and stuff on this day? And guys, why is it we don't seem to have the right to get upset if she forgets to get us something on this holiday?

Actually I think this day should be all about showing unconditional love. You see, I feel like if this holiday's about love then it shouldn't be about getting gifts or cards yourself, it should be about giving of yourself. To me true love's not measured by what you get, but by what you give and how you give it.

Don't worry dear I'm still getting you something.

Yours truly, In Trouble!

Not really an apology!

Sorry if that's too heavy, but it's the truth!

DEVOTED

Devoted – loyal, dedicated, dutiful, faithful, constant and committed.

According to my Thesaurus these are just a few words that describe the word "devoted". Do you want to know what words I would use to describe the word devoted? Try these on for size... time, effort, ability, money, and availability. I really believe if you were to show me your checkbook, what you do, how you do it and how much time you spend doing it, I would be able to tell you what you're really devoted to. I find that most people are really devoted more to their own wants, needs, friends, jobs or even hobbies than they are to God...even most Christians. I don't know about you, but I find that not only sad but disturbing. I wonder how God finds that, or how God finds us...does He find us devoted, loyal, dedicated, dutiful, faithful, constant and committed to Him and His church, or to ourselves?

I pray He finds me devoted.