New Year New Cross

34 Then he (Jesus) called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.
- Mark 8.34-35

It was a little after midnight or so this morning and I was thinking about how scripture repeatedly informs us that Jesus says in order to be one of His followers we must take up our crosses and follow Him or follow in His steps. I have heard other preachers including myself say "at least all we have to do is carry or crosses, He didn't say we had to be nailed to them." Now even though this statement is true I believe it has led us to believe in a fairytale of sorts. Because it implies that we will not suffer. Which is true to the degree that we won't have to suffer the punishment of being nailed to the cross because Christ has already died in our place. But the fallacy of this statement is that it may lead some to believe that if we follow Jesus we won't suffer at all. And this is not true.

Part of the shame, disgrace and pain of crucifixion was having to carry the instrument of your demise. It was a heavy, rough cut splintered object to carry. In other words it was a physical, mental and spiritual burden on your back knowing that what you are "taking up" now will soon be your end.

So if we are to be pain, trouble, and care-free as followers of Christ then why would Jesus tell us to "take up OUR CROSSES" and follow Him? Because He knows we live in a fallen world where we will experience heartache, loss, pain and sorrow. Now this is not God's fault, even though sometimes we have a tendency to want to blame Him it's not His fault at all.

Jesus knew we would have troubles and tribulations in this life and these are OUR CROSSES to bear. It may not be because we have sin in our lives as some would preach or teach but because sin in general distorted and ruined what was once a perfect world. But to take up our cross and follow Jesus means to bear what we must bear in this life knowing that after this body has failed us God never will.

Hebrews 12.2-3 tells us that if we 2 fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

To follow Jesus is to enjoy this life, endure it hardships knowing someday we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven. So when we reflect back on 2010 I'm not going to suggest we forget the bad times or the good because both make us stronger and wiser for what lies ahead. And what lies ahead is if we continue to follow Jesus we will gain a more intimate and personal relationship with the one who was nailed to His cross so we won't have to bear the punishment of our sins after this life is over.

Yes in this new year there will be a new cross but we must remember that if we follow Jesus He will never leave us, nor forsake us and His presence and leadership will give us a peace in knowing His great love is constant and consuming. And someday we will see Him face to face because we will have followed Him right into His Kingdom.

Just some early morning thoughts on the cross and the new year.

The rise and fall of empires has little to do with managing prophets but more to do with manifested prophecy.

The Greatest Paradox Ever Told

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
-Luke 2.10-12

One silent night God exclaimed His love for the entire world,
because our all powerful God came to earth in the form of a helpless child.
Many had been waiting for His coming but very few noticed His arrival,
so much so that there was no room for him in the world that He Himself had created.

He who was divine became human.
He who has always existed with His heavenly Father traded His place on a lofty throne to be born of an earthly mother and be placed in a lowly manger.
He who reigned over streets of gold was born in a borrowed cave used as a stable.

He exchanged His robes of splendor for swaddling clothes
and He left the songs of the multitude of angels for the silent stares of a few humble shepherds.

And that night even though Jesus left His throne He became our King,
a King who came not to be served, but to serve.
A King who was born to die,
a King who’s death would bring us life,
a King who’s single solitary sacrifice would serve as a ransom for all.

Our God, Savior and King materialized to bless us with the gift of eternal life, yet on this day we celebrate His birth by blessing ourselves with material gifts.

So it’s this silent paradox of Christmas that beckons us to respond.
And even though there are presents still waiting for us to receive,
this season is truly about the gift we've already been given,
the gift of God himself.

Have a jolly, jolly paradox this year.

practice, practice, practice

I'm sitting here in my office listening to the worship team practice worship. My thought is why don't we all practice worship so when we get to church we are ready to be in His presence instead of waiting for someone to lead us into it? Would our hearts and time together be more eventful and fulfilling?

I know it will

With Christmas right around the corner what if instead of searching for gifts for family and friends we were to search our hearts for what gifts we could give Christ this next year?

What if instead of being all excited about what we might get under the tree, we were to get all excited about the gifts God's already given us?

You know, the things we take for granted. Like our life, every breath, the ground we walk on, and most of all the family and friends who haven’t forsaken us. You see these are the gifts of real importance and real substance because they are what make us who we are.

So this Christmas let’s not forget the real gifts we’ve been given by remembering God didn’t give us material things that first Christmas. He just materialized and generously and sacrificially gave us Himself leaving us the perfect example of what we should gift to Him and to those around us. And if we do this starting this Christmas and every day after, do you suppose our lives and the lives of those we say matter to us might just be more fulfilling because we will be filling them with the gift of our life and our love?

I know it will.

BUT SHAMMAH!

2 Samuel 23 gives a list of King Davids mightiest men. These men are the equivalent of Israel's special forces of that time. These are God's chosen warriors and Shammah is #3 on this list and yet in verse 12 we find this one mighty man fighting and risking his life for a field of beans.

WHY?

Are these beans really worth his life?

Would you risk life and limb for beans?

Or is his stand really about something deeper than a field of beans?

Read verses 11 and 12 and see what you think.

The Other Character

Yesterday in our morning service we looked at how evil can and will speak into our lives using the story in Acts 19 about the 7 sons of Sceva. We discussed how if these 7 sons were here today they would probably have 3 things they would like to say to us and they would be #1 "the voice of evil takes on many forms." #2 "Satan's kingdom is aware of who you are." And #3 "you can't use Jesus' name effectively if you're not convinced of His power." And the entire theme they would like to get across to us would be "Don't try this on your own!"

Now today as I've been reflecting on this true story again about this demon possessed man beating these 7 grown men until they ran off bleeding and naked I've stumbled upon another truth that was invisible to me before. And this truth isn't just about these 7 "religious" men trying to use Jesus' name as some Harry Potter type of "magic word" to exercise the demonic presence from this other character in the story, but it's more about the fact that the force of evil made it's residence inside of this man.

First I noticed that while we don't exactly know the individual names of these 7 men, we do know who's sons they are. Because they're recorded as belonging to the Jewish Chief Priest Sceva. So we can see by this fact that they are of Israeli descent and are evidently well versed in the religion of Judaism. But while we do have an idea of these 7 mens background and who they are, the possessed man in this story remains nameless for posterity.

Why is that?

Now I know this story's all about the fact that you can't defeat evil if you don't have a personal relationship with Christ. But what about the other character in this story? What about this nameless man who is tormented and controlled by evil?

Just look at what this man single handedly achieves (with the help of evil of course). When they came to exercise him they confront him and they say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out." But the evil spirit in this man tells them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" Then he puts the hurt to all 7 of them.

So my thought is that maybe this mans remaining nameless displays the fact that none of us are immune to evil being able to work in or maybe even through our lives. Just a hypothetical question but what if we were to write our name in the blank space where this mans name would be? You see this story shows me that if it's allowed to, evil can voice itself through our vocal cords, personify itself through our flesh, and even inflict emotional and physical harm to those around us most likely scaring them for life.

So here's a few questions we should probably ask ourselves everyday.

1. Do we make sure that we're always in the "right spirit"?
2. Do we always watch what we say, or even how we say it when speaking to, or even about others?
3. Do we always weigh the consequences and the affects of our actions towards others?
4. Which type of personification are we permeating through our actions and our words, helpful or hurtful?

I know one thing. I wouldn't want to be like the 7 sons of Sceva and get a beat down every time I'm confronted by evil in my life, but on the other hand, I never want to be like the other character in this story either!

2 voices

The seven sons of Sceva learned the hard way that evil can speak into our lives. With everything that goes on in this world and all the voices talking to us, at us, and over us there are really two voices we need to learn to distinguish. Good and evil. The only question is which one are we listening to. Think about it.

Caught In The Current

I’ve always been told that “today is the first day of the rest of my life.” But doesn’t that mean that today is also the last day of what was my life?

As a matter of fact the few seconds it took you to read the first sentence of this blog is no longer your present but is now considered your past. And the sentence you are currently reading which only a moment ago was your future is now destined to be your past whether you choose to finish reading it or not.

You see to me, living in the future is just as unhealthy as living in the past. This is why I think we should always live in the moment because it’s really all we have. Now please don’t get me wrong because I’m not saying we should forget our yesterdays or ignore our tomorrows because it’s alright to reminisce about the past and we defiantly need to plan for the future. But what I am saying is its wrong to constantly live in either one like so many of us do. And of course the past can affect our now as well as our future but only if we allow it to.

I guess I’m trying to articulate that sitting around wishing things could be like they used to be or that we could go back and change our past is really no different than sitting around hoping our tomorrows will turn out better than our today’s. Because both waste precious time and steal our ability to not only live in, but enjoy the moment God’s given us to experience right now.

And yes, allowing our past to affect both our present and our future seems to just be human nature. So wouldn’t it stand to reason that we can choose to make our futures better if we could just learn how to live every moment knowing that the moment we’re currently residing in will soon become our past?

Just some random thoughts.

Thanks be to God

Thanks be to God our Creator and Redeemer. It's yet another day we've set aside to come together and corporately worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Today we are lifting up our praise and thanks for all of His benefits. We have the best medical and life insurance known to man and it's totally free to us. We just have to receive it. Thanks be to God our Creator and Redeemer.

A Life Of Praise And Thanks

Psalm 103 is referred to as David’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Now if U remember, “Hallelujah” is Hebrew for “Praise God” and to praise means to glorify and give thanks. So that makes Psalm 103 David’s Thanksgiving Chorus.

Now the psalms are poems and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God as our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer.

And since David’s accredited for writing 73 to 75 out of the 150 Psalms that sort of means that he's the top singer and songwriter who’s singles hit number one in the charts recorded in the bible. And if you read his songs you'll notice they all have the same pattern. Because all of the verse’s are about his true life experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly.

But then his Choruses, like all choruses, are repetitious statements after every verse that always point out how God loves and provides for him in the good and in the bad times of his life.

SO what if we were to look at praise and worship the way David did?
(Who by the way God says was "A man after His own heart.")

Would we better see that in order to worship God in spirit and in truth we would need our everyday lives to be like verses of a worship song that always lead to the glorious chorus and proof of God’s constant and consistent love and provision in our lives meaning that our lives would not just be seen by the world but our lives would resonate in the world as expressions of gratitude and thanks to our God in all things at all times?

Dis-couraged

Discouragement effects everyone.

Job said, "God has no right to treat me like this... it isn't fair."

Elijah wrote, "I have had enough, Lord... Take my life."

King David wrote in Psalm 69, "I am exhausted from crying for help... waiting for my God to help me."

C.S. Lewis, "Where is God? Go to Him when your need is desperate... and what do you find? A door slammed in your face."

Mother Teresa once said, "In my soul, I can't tell you how dark it is... I feel like refusing God."

Billy Graham once said, "I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes."

And even Jesus Himself asked, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"

So why do we think any of us would be immune to discouragement? Listen, it comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be from losing a job, losing somebody you love or you just losing your mind. And on top of that, what discourages you may not discourage the next person but that doesn't mean you are weaker, we're just all different.

What we really need to realize is that those things that happen to us that bum us out didn't surprise God. He knew it was going to happen to us and we have to understand He didn't cause them but He allowed them to happen. Not because He doesn't love us or because He's some evil overlord that gets His kicks out of kicking us around. But these things happen to us because He loves us enough to allow us to make our own choices in life... right or wrong. Now He doesn't want those discouraging things in our lives to make us bitter, He rather we become better in spite of them.

Now I know it sounds like I'm trying to be a ray of sunshine here... but in all honesty, as long as we're on this earth we will have problems, pain and heartache. It's just life in it's fallen state. But there is a God who loves us and tells us that He has plans to prosper us, and not harm us, plans for us to have hope and a future. And we can see those plans fulfilled even in those times of discouragement if we will not only except His Son as our Savior but live for Him as the LORD of our lives.

This is the day.

Well it's Sunday morning again. Today we're hearing a few parables or stories that Jesus told and a few stories about real events that took place. And the thing about these stories is they all have one thing in common. And that commonality still seen today. So this is the day to make a change to see this chain of stories cease.

Final Scare

Today is our 5th and final message in the "What Scares You?" series. Today's message is rated R because it's about a very Real subject and it's not only the grand finale but it's about THE grand finale! I pray that everyone leaves service today with a better understanding and a positive outlook on where they're headed after this life.

Sunday reflections

Well today is the 4th message in our October series and I am stoked to hear Jon Sproule bring us God's Word in a message titled, "What If?" It's going to be a great message and I've been excited about it all week. We were in Springfield all week because our daughter got married to a wonderful young man, Jake. Who I am glad to call my Son-in-law. So it was awesome but also hard to give my little girl away to someone else. Thanks for letting me give you away. I love you Jess.

What Scares You 2 ?

Well todays our second message in the "What Scares You?" series. And the title is "Things That Go Bump In The Night."

Sometimes our fears can either work for us or work against us. It just depends on which kind of fear we give into. The wrong fear is what caused Adam and Eve to run and hide from God when He came looking for them in the garden, but the right kind of fear which is the respect & reverence for God and His Word is what kept them from eating of the forbidden fruit in the first place.

We will be digging into and Old Testament story in Judges 6 & 7 to discover whether or not fear is good or bad for us. I pray this series helps us to battle those crippling fears that freeze us in out tracks and takes over our thoughts and actions.

What Scares You?

Well it's the first Sunday in October and we are starting a new series today titled What Scares You? We will find the origin of fear, discover what fear can do to us or keep us from doing and we will see what God's given us to conquer fear. This series will run the entire month and I'm praying it helps us all to understand there's a wrong kind of fear and a right kind of fear. So What Scares You?

Random Rambling from Rev. Ron

With everything going on in the church and in our personal life I've put the blog on hold for a while. But now it's time to let it rip.

I had a discussion with a friend who owns a business uptown the other day and we got on the subject of believers devotion. Like why is it some go to church and claim to be Christian but really never act like Christ?

Neither one of us got it.

We couldn't understand how one can wear the name of Christ but act like the devil incarnate. Are these people going to heaven when their time comes? We decided we don't know for sure, and we can't say for sure. But I personally feel if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, no matter how many times it says it's an eagle - it's still a duck.

So no matter how many times a person says they believe in Jesus, no matter how many times a person goes to church and no matter how many times they throw money in the offering bag if they're not offering their entire life wholly over to a Holy God then I would say they are merely "Christian" in word and not in deed. Jesus said you can "tell a tree by the fruit that it bears" meaning just because a tree's in an apple orchard doesn't mean it's an apple tree especially if it doesn't drop any apples.

Anyways, I was impressed by the parellel between my friend and I's opinions of this same subject. Now you can call me judge-mental all you want but I'm just calling it as I see it. And let me tell you why I'm toasted about this subject using the metaphor from earlier. There are too many ducks out there calling themselves eagles which just FOWLS everything up because it makes real eagles look like a bunch of turkeys to all the other birds out there who need to meet the One who created all of us birds.

So now that I've had my FEATHERS ruffled and I've FLEW off the handle about this subject I can go back to ruling my ROOST and stop SQUAKING about it.

Keeping It Real

As followers of Christ we believe every thing the Bible says to be real, we believe Jesus Christ is real, that He really lived, really died and really lived again. We believe that our salvation is real through His death on the real cross and that our healing is real through the stripes He wore in His flesh. We believe that heaven and hell are real places and where we end up after this life really depends on either our sin or salvation through Gods real grace and mercy.

So since we believe all this to be real, then why is it when we show up for worship service on Sunday morning we pretend or act as if our lives are all OK? Why do we tell everyone when they ask how we're doing Sunday morning, "O I'm doing great" while inside we're really screaming for help because of our bills, job situations, sicknesses, stress, our kids, the neighbors kids and our family and finances are hurting? Why is it we believe everything about church and God should be real but we can't seem to keep it real with each other about our personal lives?

Now I don't think we should spill our guts whenever we meet together but I do believe we should share our hearts and keep it real. There isn't a single one of us who have perfect lives so why do we put on these fake smiles and wonder into church as if life isn't a real hassel sometimes?

Come on you know how life can be sometimes and the thing is God knows it because He told us it would be in His Word. That's why He told us to love each other as family and love and help each other in our everyday lives. Yes, church is a place where we meet to worship God but it's also the place to share not just our joys but our burdens with each other and with our Creator so when we leave Sunday at around noon we will leave better off for it. So my thought is, we should just keep on keeping it real with each other, with God and especially with ourselves.

What's up?

What's up?

Well, too much! There has been so much going on that it's been hard to get on the blog here and write anything. We've been cleaning Mom and Dads house (slowly) and tried to have a yard sale last week to move some of their treasures. We think we will probably bring half to our house and half to Tims (my brother) and sell the stuff out of our garages instead. It's just kind of hard to watch people walk in our home and pay fifty cents for something my parents treasured and then walk off with a part of our lives. It will be easier to sell it here, away from our childhood home.

Good news is, Dustin and Lauren, our son and his wife are moving back and buying Dad and Moms house. This way it will stay in the family and my parents great grandchildren will live in the house that our father built. There is something about living a home that was constructed in love rather than built for a profit. Sort of reminds me of the home where my parents are now. Jesus said I go to prepare a place for YOU. Our homes in heaven are places constructed in love with each one of us in mind.

Hopefully I will be able to post a little more often but who knows what's next.

What's up with you?

Sacrifice?

I am disappointed!

Why?

Well because I'm really starting to wonder if we as Christ followers truly understand what sacrifice really is. I mean I know missionaries understand because they give up their entire lives and their will for God's will. Which by the way is to introduce people to Christ and then encourage them to love Him, to give their lives over to Him and then make their lives all about Him and His will.

You see Jesus painted a perfectly clear picture that His will, was all about giving up His personal will in order to see everyone be in God's perfect will. In other words, I'm having troubles seeing those who call themselves Christian and even those in ministry today making their life focus all about sacrifice. They act as if the world revolves around their desires, their wants or needs. And that is not what Jesus teaches! He teaches us to give our lives away. I may be all wrong in my viewpoint and forgive me if so...but all I see in today's young ministers are young men and women who are more than ready to be selfish rather than sacrificial. When they come out of bible college they demand a certain salary, insurance and living accommodations before they will even think of ministering...

...REALLY! Just re-read the last sentence and see if it really makes since "biblically."

Well you might ask, "What's wrong with that? They worked hard in school and graduated in that field just like anyone going into the work place, right?" And I would answer you with this, "Yes, but you don't see doctors, lawyers or business men coming right out of school and being the head physician, partners in a big law firm or the CEO of a huge corporation." They had to start somewhere and dedicate their lives to their profession. The only difference with any of these and ministers of the gospel is ministry is not a profession it's a LIFE lived that professes Christ as Lord.

There are so many small churches right here in America that are struggling to make ends meet and more importantly reach the unchurched because there are hundreds if not thousands of fresh ministers who refuse to lower their standards of working a secular job to support their calling to minister to the lost.

Now I do not claim to be perfect when it comes to sacrifice myself, but at least I believe I have a true grip on what the word means, or what a life of sacrifice is.

All I can say is I am grateful and thankful that my Savior didn't have a "what's in it for me attitude" and that He not only understands but set the standard for what true sacrifice is.

So if you are going into or already feel you are in ministry all I have is this one word question we should constantly ask ourselves. Sacrifice?

timeLESS 2

But I discovered later that Gods omni characteristics had stirred this unshakable curiosity that continued to resonate within my spirit. But instead of allowing myself to flow with the curious conscience that continually haunted me and make the time to fill that knowledge--less void, I always ended up suppressing my inquisitiveness and storing the data I had collected by downloading it into the collective hard drive in the back of my mind. Only allowing it to be opened and rebooted in those few quiet moments somewhere between the closing of my eyes and the drifting off into dreamless sleep.

I would often for brief moments conservatively contemplate God’s Omnipotence or His all--powerfulness. Full aware that He had not only created all things seen and all things unseen but He also created what we assume we understand power itself to be. I would even delve into what I thought was valid insight into Gods omniscience or His being all--knowing because again He created all we know and all we consider knowledge and wisdom to be.

Now there is an amusing anecdote on the subject of Gods omniscience. There was a time back in my teenage years where I just knew I had achieved a level of omniscience myself. I was right around 13 or 14 years old and I woke up one morning fully aware of the fact that somehow and someway I knew way more than my parents ever did and I seriously knew it all. And my mom would constantly confirm this teenage epiphany I had about myself because she was always asking “So you think you know it all huh?”
But now that I am older I can look back and see that Gods omniscience far exceeded my highly conceited and self proclaimed brain power of those earlier years and how it certainly surpasses the knowledge and wisdom I or anyone else could ever think they have attained for that matter. And so I have come to the conclusion that I honestly believe for anyone to say they can fully understand all of the elements of God’s omni--attributes is the same as “Placing God in a box” as the pastor said so many years before. . . . [There is more to this timeLESS manuscript but I most likely will not share anymore for a while.]

timeLESS

Now I know it may sound a little silly but in the not--so--distant past I have discovered that I really enjoy experiencing epiphanies. Mainly because I came to realize there is this large chasm between just knowing facts and being seriously conscious of truths. And so for me this in itself ended up being another epiphany.

It all started towards the end of 1990 when I first became aware of the fact that God is what I have now coined “omni--everything”. I had just made the decision to follow Christ and was engulfed by this burning desire to learn everything I could about Him. And one Wednesday night in our small church bible study the pastor mentioned all these “omni” words. As a matter of fact his voice rose with the power of an energized and animated evangelist when he shouted “As Christians we have got to stop placing God in a box because the God we serve is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent! He is all powerful, all knowing and He is always everywhere at all times!” Now the truth he spoke that evening seemed to be the key to some unanswered questions that had been rattling around in my head. You know those questions. The ones you really want answered but are afraid to ask for fear of appearing dense. Questions like how in the world does God know how many hairs are on not only my head but every other head in this world? And why would He even care?

So for awhile I was content that this newfound knowledge I had inquired gave me a decent grip on the whole “omni--everything” concept. . . .to be continued . . .

I should have listened!

Growing up my parents used to tell me so many things and so many times I either turned a deaf ear to what they were saying or I just didn't believe them (mainly because I knew it all). But the older I get the wiser they become and the more I realize I should have listened.

For instance they would say, "The older you get the faster time flies." And I didn't believe them, but now I can attest to the fact that their almost prophetic words are coming to pass. I find there's not a enough time in the day to do what I know needs done and the nights continue to get shorter and shorter because I never seem to get enough sleep.

Mom and Dad used to always say "Son the choices you make now while you're young can affect the rest of you life so make good ones you know you can live with." Did I heed their warning? Of course not...(Another bad choice I totally regret now.) Guess what?...I should have listened!

So if you happen to be reading this and for whatever reason at this time in your life you don't think your parents know what they're talking about...take some advice from a son who is turning 50 this year and really misses hearing his parents voices, let alone their words of wisdom...do yourself a favor and listen and heed their advice so later in life you won't end up saying to yourself, "I should have listened!"

Did you ever?

Did you ever think about thinking? Sometimes I just think about thought, why we do, when we do and what it does for us. Then I wonder about things I think about. Like if anyone else ever thinks about the unusual stuff I think of. For instance did you ever notice how the word believe has the word "lie" right smack in the middle of it?

Or did you ever think about the fact that when you blow in a dogs face it gets upset and seems to hate it but when you take the exact same dog for a ride in the car the first thing they do is stick their head out the window and act like they just love the wind blowing in their face? I'm thinking maybe it's not so much the air we blow in their face that bothers them as it is our bad breath.

Did you ever come up with this awesome invention and think about how to draw it, manufacture it, market it and just know you're going to become filthy rich from it only to find out somebody invented it over 10 years ago?

Did you ever forget exactly how old you are only to be upset when you remember?

Did you ever wonder how life would be if you were somebody else only to turn around and wonder if you were that somebody else, would you be wondering what life would be like to be you?

Did you ever write a blog then wonder if anyone ever reads it, understands it, or if it makes a difference in someones thought process or life?

Did you ever?

Living In The Shadows

I read a comment my niece had written on facebook and it caused me to think about how each and everyone of us has a past, some good and some not so good. But whether we feel our past is good or not each of us has something we have done that we’re not so proud of, maybe even ashamed of and wish we’d never done. I knew exactly what she was writing about because I too have not lived the faithful Christian life and guilt followed me around even after I received God’s forgiveness.

But a truth I’ve personally learned to live in, is that if we have accepted Christ as our Savior then our past is gone and the only one who would like for us to feel guilty for the “shady” things or the sinful things we had done would be the enemy of our souls. Because the feeling of guilt is a result of one being guilty of a wrong and if we’ve accepted forgiveness through the shed blood of Christ Jesus then we are innocent in the eyes of God and need not feel guilt for something He’s taken from us.

You see, when we constantly live in guilt for the shady things we committed then what we’re doing is living in the shadows. So if you battle with guilt for past [forgiven] sins think of it this way, a shadow is only a dark presence that’s destined to follow us. But when light comes on the scene shadows not only disappear but they no longer exist. So we as followers of Christ need not feel guilt but should feel joyful because Jesus died to set us free not only from our sin but also from guilt and He asks us to live in the light rather than live in the shadows. So if you battle this my advice is - stop living in the shadows.

Easter Service

We had a great day yesterday remembering our Lord and celebrating the fact that He is Risen and is alive. The entire day seemed to be just perfect and I thank God for that. I took the opportunity to do a first person message where I spoke as one of the disciples who witnessed all the events from Thursdays Passover Supper with Jesus to His crucifixion and Resurrection. And as I was speaking I felt emotions not unlike those who were there during those events. I prayed long and hard about doing the service this way and was confident yet nervous it would not be convincing. But I believe God was glorified and people were transported from our little sanctuary to the table at the Last Supper, to the Garden, to the trials and etc. I personally was challenged to remember the passion that God and His only begotten Son has for us every morning I rise from my slumber, knowing some day we will rise to be with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven and see the nail scarred hands and feet of the One who saved our souls.

The dark side of free will

As followers of Christ we are well aware of the term “free will” because we believe that our God in His sovereignty has given each of us exactly that, a free will-or a freedom to choose to do what is right. But on the negative or dark side of free will we also, (remember by God’s divine plan) have the freedom to choose to do that which is wrong. So the question is, is the issue with humanity’s insatiable habit of doing that which is wrong really about free will or is it actually all about being obedient or disobedient? Of course the facts laid out in black and white within the Word states that it’s about our choice to be obedient or not. But why is it we have that tendency to choose our will over God’s will for our lives? Why is it we, even as followers, like to manifest, mentally pencil in or interpret our own gray areas between the sentences of God’s written Word?

Some clichés that most like to use which personally annoy me are, “God understands we’re just human”, or “God knows our motives” or how about this one... “Jesus died for my mistakes” - NO HE DIDN’T He died for your sins not your mistakes! When we make a willful decision to do that which is wrong it is not a mistake it is a sin - stop candy coating it to make it sound better or to ease your own conscience. And by the way, for those who like to comfort themselves with the second cliché above - at that point YES He knows your motives, which would be you’ve decided to become your own God by choosing what is right or wrong for your life, and totally avoiding your Creators do’s and don’t or rights or wrongs for your life.

All I have to say is if you truly love God with all of your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength then you should be living for Him wholeheartedly instead of halfheartedly. You will study and know the Word to show yourself approved and you will take upon yourself the mind of Christ and give every aspect of your life to and for God.

The Evil Eye.

I’m sure everyone has heard the cliché “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” but have you ever thought that maybe hypocrisy is in the eye of the beholder too? Now I know hypocrisy is hypocrisy but I’m referring to the fact that maybe it’s much easier for us to see hypocrisy in others before we see, or at least admit there is hypocrisy in our own.

Matthew 7:1-5 in the New International Version records that Christ taught about this very thing. Matthew records that Jesus said,
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Now what this tells us is that Jesus knows we have a tendency to see others faults before we recognize and rectify our own. Now those who dislike Christianity love to quote the first 3 words of this first verse in Matthew 7 where it says, “Do not judge”. But they, along with some believers, fail to actually see the total content of what Jesus was saying here. So to put it in a nutshell, Yes sometimes it’s easier for us to “judge” others before judging ourselves and indeed that is hypocritical of us but on the other hand consuming this record of Jesus’ teaching in its entirety we see by verse 5 Jesus says once you have honestly evaluated yourself and corrected your own self-blindness then you will see better how to remove someone else’s. To quote Matthew who quotes Christ, the end of verse 5 says, “and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” You see we usually take these 5 verses and SEE them in the totally wrong perspective and act as if we are to not judge others and this is not what Jesus was teaching.

As a matter of fact I really like the way the Message bible puts it, it says,
Matthew 7:1-5 1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

You see HYPOCRISY IS LITERALLY IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER but yet it is the beholders responsibility to make sure his beam has been pulled before he helps others with their dust.

Life goes on

The sound of silence deafens the soul yet soothes the spirit. Light rays beckoning to feel their warmth in the cool of the early afternoon while mangled and un-manipulated thoughts wander aimlessly deep within the chasm of the uncorrupt chaos, restrained, bound and shackled on the inevitable fringe between reality and unavoidable idealism. Questioning yet lacking the expectation of answers. Searching but never seeing and breathing while never feeling alive. The present quickly becomes the future and the past hangs on as fading memories which slowly morph into the absentminded abyss of nonexistence. What IS will develop into what WILL BE while what IS surrenders to what WAS as the oscillating rotation endlessly finds itself at a point of no return, no turning back. The hands of time transform into Nike clad feet as forward momentum thrusts it into dimensions of the expected yet unanticipated unknown. And life goes on.

[some of my poetry locked away in my mind]

Valentines Eve

Today is Valentines Eve.

It's the day before the "Day of love." The day couples express their love for each other with cards, candies, flowers and dinners. Wives and girlfriends patiently wait in anticipation to see what and sometimes "if" their sweethearts will get them. It's generally the day we display our love to the ones who love us.

But what about the One who loved us before anyone ever understood or experienced love or life for that matter? What about God? You know, the One who loved us while we were still sinners or to define it better the One who loved us while we were yet unlovable by His own standards? I find it totally amazing that Valentines Day the day we are expected to express our love to our better-half falls on a day we are to express our love corporately to the One who loved us before we ever existed. So what are we giving Him tomorrow? Think about it.

reasoned silence

I have been silent on this blog for a reason.

Sometimes I find it better to not say (or write) anything if you have nothing positive to say. Not that my life has been filled with negativity but my mindset has been clouded due to a number of circumstances beyond my control. I think this world would be a much better place if at times we all would share "reasoned silence" instead of "thoughtless noise" just because we feel we need to be heard or listened to.

I have chosen this day to write once again because I received news last night that there is a possibility that a friend from my past was found dead yesterday morning. He was the youngest to graduate with the class of 1978 and I was next to the youngest. Scot rode an awesome Harley and he was a Luthier which is a artisan who makes or repairs stringed instruments and Scot made fine handcrafted guitars, mandolins and dulcimers.

Finding this out late last night and now waiting for some kind of news to know if it is true has caused me to withdraw into my own consciousness and reflect how none of us know what, when, where or how we will physically leave this life. And if everyone would meditate on that reflection they would possibly prepare for what exists after this life.

From what I can tell Scot was an Atheist at most. As a matter of fact he called me about a year ago (at the last minute) to see if I could do his sons wedding because the minister they had asked to do it would not take "God" out of the marriage vows. As God would have it, I had a previous engagement that could not be broken which made me happy because I know I wouldn't have left God out of the marriage vows either.

His wife Debi was my neighbor and best friend for the first 12 years of my life. As a matter of fact she is in a number of my childhood videos and I have even shown one of those videos for a sermon illustration at church. I will most definitely be in prayer for her and the family, (if what I heard is true.)

It is sad but true how life ending for others can causes us to reflect on our own mortality.

So my reasoned silence has been broken by a life which has been silenced.

Natural Disaster

I don't know about you, but I find it deeply distressing and disheartening that it takes major devastation from natural disasters for not just entire nations, but humanity in general to work together to rescue others in dire need.

Now I'm not saying we shouldn't do everything within our powers to help others in times like this earthquake in Haiti, but can you imagine how much better the condition of our entire world would be in if we would all just give of our time, finances and prayers to meet the needs of others consistently and not just when a catastrophe causes focus on a particular people group, city or country?

I mean seriously shouldn't the lack of food, safe drinking water, clothes, medical needs and the number of orphaned children in this world count as a calamity?

Why is it we all, all of a sudden band together as humanitarians and become heroic when massive numbers of people die in an earthquake or a tsunami at one time, and yet year, after year, after year large amounts of human lives are lost due to a lack of the basic and abundant needs most of us take for granted?

Shouldn't we place just as high a value on one life as we do on fifty thousand?

Think about it, if all of humanity would work together all of the time like we do in times such as this earthquake in Haiti then meeting the needs of those who go without would make this world a far, far better place for everyone. The fact is the worldwide death toll and crime rate would not only decrease but the world's economy would most assuredly improve.

So where does this leave us?

Well for the most part it leaves us watching the devastating pain and suffering of events such as this earthquake in Haiti on the news or on the Internet, and maybe sending money, food or clothing to help. And for some it might lead to flying into that particular location to help with the rescue attempts.

But what then? So many of those in Haiti like other places, live without the basic needs to sustain life before natural disasters like this one takes what little they do have.

So which is the real "natural disaster" or catastrophe?

Is it the fact that people suffer because of earthquakes and tsunami's or is it possibly the fact that other human beings in our world suffer because the rest of humanity just naturally ignores their basic needs to sustain decent livable lives before or after these natural disasters strike?