Well we finished our “Culture Shock” series last Sunday night with a message titled “Flip Culture.” We talked about how we are called to create a Christ centered culture out in the world, not just in our churches. Jesus did, his disciples did, Paul and Barnabas you name them their goal was to create “new creatures” in Christ wherever they went. As a matter of fact they were referred to in Acts seventeen as “those who’ve turned the world upside down,” or those who’ve flipped culture.
But I was thinking Monday how God even shows us a powerful example of reaching the culture with the Word right where they’re at, just read Acts chapter two sometime! Talk about not only reaching them where they’re at but talking to them in their own language, that was a powerful culture shock for everyone involved that day, both the hundred and twenty in the upper room and those who heard them out in the streets. You see God’s empowered us with the exact same power through the Holy Spirit so we can have the boldness to do the same thing…flip the culture right where we live, work or play. So let’s turn the world upside down for Christ.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Culture Shock
This Sunday will be our 5th Sunday into our “Culture Shock” series and it’s our intent that this series displays the fact that as Christians we’re to be like Christ and the first disciples. We’re called to ‘live-in’ but not ‘give-in’ to the worlds ways. Think of it this way, before Jesus and the disciples turned this world upside down there were no such people as Christians.
You see they not only lived in, learned about, and leveraged the culture they were in but they created a completely new culture. And that’s exactly what we’re called to do. Matthew 28.18-20 says in the NIV 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
We’re not called to hide from the culture outside our church doors we’re called to transform it through the power of God that lives within us!
You see they not only lived in, learned about, and leveraged the culture they were in but they created a completely new culture. And that’s exactly what we’re called to do. Matthew 28.18-20 says in the NIV 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
We’re not called to hide from the culture outside our church doors we’re called to transform it through the power of God that lives within us!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Just asking.
Christian.
Have you ever noticed how it seems as if our American culture has redefined the words original meaning of “followers of Christ” to something with negative connotations? Is it that we have somehow become followers of someone or something other than Christ? In our attempt to be Christian have we somehow traded being followers of Christ for being followers of a distinct denomination, a particular preacher or even a certain church? Have we become more concerned with what we believe instead of who we believe in? Have we become more concerned with arguing over our denominational differences than meeting the needs of the hurting, the hungry and the destitute in our communities? Is the word Christian looked down upon in our society because we have somehow forfeited following the ways of Christ and given into following our own “ways”?
Just asking.
Have you ever noticed how it seems as if our American culture has redefined the words original meaning of “followers of Christ” to something with negative connotations? Is it that we have somehow become followers of someone or something other than Christ? In our attempt to be Christian have we somehow traded being followers of Christ for being followers of a distinct denomination, a particular preacher or even a certain church? Have we become more concerned with what we believe instead of who we believe in? Have we become more concerned with arguing over our denominational differences than meeting the needs of the hurting, the hungry and the destitute in our communities? Is the word Christian looked down upon in our society because we have somehow forfeited following the ways of Christ and given into following our own “ways”?
Just asking.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
whadoyathink?
It’s been kind of hard to think lately, let alone write. Well let me rephrase that, the problem is more like I’ve been thinking too much. Have you ever had so much on your mind that it makes it nearly impossible to think?
Please say “Yes” so I don’t feel so alone.
You see I’m always thinking of the strangest things, like is life really complicated or do we just make it that way? Or how about this…right now as you’re reading this, the earth is actually spinning at it’s equator at around 1,038 miles per hour, but yet at its poles it’s hardly spinning at all. So if for some uncanny reason God decides to stop the world from spinning wouldn’t it be far safer to live at either the North or South Pole as everyone and everything else flies off? Or how about this one, why does God the Creator of the universe love us so much when in fact, we don’t deserve to be loved at all? Now I’m not asking “how” I’m asking “why?” And I’m not only talking about those who live their lives in blatant disreqard of His existence but I’m talking about those of us who claim to be His followers too. Half the time we’re disobedient, selfish, self centered, self consumed, self righteous and self serving even as His followers. And yet we say we love and live for Him.
So even as followers of Christ I don’t think we fully comprehend just how gracious and how merciful He really is to us. O man, there I go thinking again…
Please say “Yes” so I don’t feel so alone.
You see I’m always thinking of the strangest things, like is life really complicated or do we just make it that way? Or how about this…right now as you’re reading this, the earth is actually spinning at it’s equator at around 1,038 miles per hour, but yet at its poles it’s hardly spinning at all. So if for some uncanny reason God decides to stop the world from spinning wouldn’t it be far safer to live at either the North or South Pole as everyone and everything else flies off? Or how about this one, why does God the Creator of the universe love us so much when in fact, we don’t deserve to be loved at all? Now I’m not asking “how” I’m asking “why?” And I’m not only talking about those who live their lives in blatant disreqard of His existence but I’m talking about those of us who claim to be His followers too. Half the time we’re disobedient, selfish, self centered, self consumed, self righteous and self serving even as His followers. And yet we say we love and live for Him.
So even as followers of Christ I don’t think we fully comprehend just how gracious and how merciful He really is to us. O man, there I go thinking again…
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
tomorrow?
Dark tales of forbidden pasts
and bright fervent futures
forever haunt the masked man within.
He resides
where only he and God dare to venture,
no admittance
mystically printed across his persona
by the keeper of new and used souls,
as dreams of tomorrow
collide with yesteryears nightmares.
The distance in which he’s traversed
continually displays itself
as life’s viewfinder clicks away
in its three dimensional format,
all the while he recognizes that expanse
he has yet to attain which forever keeps itself
in the not so far distance
only reachable in his visionary dreams.
Still searching yet being found,
while silent screams rage inside
for what should be
but hasn’t materialized itself
in the shadows of reality.
Questioning why, when, how
yet invisibly knowing
the inevitable answer lies within
not others, not things, not pleasure
but within himself.
In the place his spirit dwells
silent through it all
crouching in the fear of laughter
standing in the face of adversity
laying in the field of shattered expectations
of not only days gone by
but dreams of new beginnings yet achieved.
We always have tomorrow.
and bright fervent futures
forever haunt the masked man within.
He resides
where only he and God dare to venture,
no admittance
mystically printed across his persona
by the keeper of new and used souls,
as dreams of tomorrow
collide with yesteryears nightmares.
The distance in which he’s traversed
continually displays itself
as life’s viewfinder clicks away
in its three dimensional format,
all the while he recognizes that expanse
he has yet to attain which forever keeps itself
in the not so far distance
only reachable in his visionary dreams.
Still searching yet being found,
while silent screams rage inside
for what should be
but hasn’t materialized itself
in the shadows of reality.
Questioning why, when, how
yet invisibly knowing
the inevitable answer lies within
not others, not things, not pleasure
but within himself.
In the place his spirit dwells
silent through it all
crouching in the fear of laughter
standing in the face of adversity
laying in the field of shattered expectations
of not only days gone by
but dreams of new beginnings yet achieved.
We always have tomorrow.
Monday, March 9, 2009
THE ORIGINAL
Art; we can’t live without it, it’s everywhere. Not necessarily what man’s painted, molded, sculpted, drawn or written but rather all of creation. If you think about it God is the ultimate Artist, He is the Creator of all things. In Jeremiah He even refers to Himself as the “potter.” I mean have you actually taken the time to look at or appreciate His work? It’s amazing! Just gaze at His work in nature. Make time to fix your eyes on the individualism of each blade of grass, flower petal, or rain drop. Admire the precision of every scale, every hair and every feather. And if you really want to appreciate His greatest work, just stare deeply into your own mirror sometime. God created creativeness and all of mans creations are ultimately reflections of His work because He is truly THE Original.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
What?
What?
What is it going to take?
What do I have to do
to get you to understand
exactly how much I love you?
What is it going to take
to show you I’m dedicated
to you?
What is it
that makes you
ignore my voice?
What is it
that makes you
try to hide from me?
What is it
that makes you
not accept me for who I am?
What is it going to take?
What is it going to take
for you to love me
the way I love you?
What?
God
What is it going to take?
What do I have to do
to get you to understand
exactly how much I love you?
What is it going to take
to show you I’m dedicated
to you?
What is it
that makes you
ignore my voice?
What is it
that makes you
try to hide from me?
What is it
that makes you
not accept me for who I am?
What is it going to take?
What is it going to take
for you to love me
the way I love you?
What?
God
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Times
On life’s journey
we all face many different situations,
have many different experiences,
and meet many different people.
Sometimes we have gains,
…and we laugh.
Sometimes we have losses,
…and we cry.
Sometimes our feelings are hurt,
…and we isolate and pull back.
Sometimes music plays,
…and we celebrate.
Sometimes we really blow it,
…and we regret.
Sometimes we get it right,
…and we smile because we feel good.
The Bible tells us that God
takes all of these experiences
and eventually makes something beautiful
out of all the loose ends and all those "in betweens."
So writes Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3.1-11
we all face many different situations,
have many different experiences,
and meet many different people.
Sometimes we have gains,
…and we laugh.
Sometimes we have losses,
…and we cry.
Sometimes our feelings are hurt,
…and we isolate and pull back.
Sometimes music plays,
…and we celebrate.
Sometimes we really blow it,
…and we regret.
Sometimes we get it right,
…and we smile because we feel good.
The Bible tells us that God
takes all of these experiences
and eventually makes something beautiful
out of all the loose ends and all those "in betweens."
So writes Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3.1-11
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
TODAY
Today I have the honor and privilege of co-officiating a funeral for a dear woman of God. Oma was 96 years of age before she went on to be with the Lord.
Before she moved to Oklahoma to be with her daughter I would often visit and we would sit in her living room as she would do her best to fill me in on the last 90 some years of her memories. It was really hard for me to fathom all she had seen or heard in her lifetime but as she would explain how the yesterdays were so different from today I could also hear a love and a joyful expectance of her future in her spirit.
Oma loved the Lord and was more than a mere inspiration to me, not just because of her past or even because of her future, but because she lived with the expectancy of what the Lord was blessing her with today. If there is one thing I can say that Sister Oma brought into my life, besides being like a grandma to me for a short while, it would have to be to not overlook the tiniest blessing from God today.
Before she moved to Oklahoma to be with her daughter I would often visit and we would sit in her living room as she would do her best to fill me in on the last 90 some years of her memories. It was really hard for me to fathom all she had seen or heard in her lifetime but as she would explain how the yesterdays were so different from today I could also hear a love and a joyful expectance of her future in her spirit.
Oma loved the Lord and was more than a mere inspiration to me, not just because of her past or even because of her future, but because she lived with the expectancy of what the Lord was blessing her with today. If there is one thing I can say that Sister Oma brought into my life, besides being like a grandma to me for a short while, it would have to be to not overlook the tiniest blessing from God today.
Monday, March 2, 2009
poety or nonsense-go figure
Reality is not fleeting shadows
in catacombs of processes of thought
or memory in which only the dictator
comprehends as true or false,
mindless meanings that move and motivate
only the sincerest of hearts.
Truth is more
than mere recollections, resonations or remembrances
of someone else’s perceptions or perspectives.
It's definitely definable as deeply Devine,
superbly and supremely supernatural.
Truth moves mountains,
redirects courses of rivers,
floods ocean floors,
breaths souls into nostrils of art
yet won’t forcibly melt mans cold hardened heart...
...His own creation.
That is love.
in catacombs of processes of thought
or memory in which only the dictator
comprehends as true or false,
mindless meanings that move and motivate
only the sincerest of hearts.
Truth is more
than mere recollections, resonations or remembrances
of someone else’s perceptions or perspectives.
It's definitely definable as deeply Devine,
superbly and supremely supernatural.
Truth moves mountains,
redirects courses of rivers,
floods ocean floors,
breaths souls into nostrils of art
yet won’t forcibly melt mans cold hardened heart...
...His own creation.
That is love.
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