So I have not posted in some time, which makes me feel a little guilty. Somehow I have allowed my life to get so busy that I have not taken the time to do something that I so enjoy. Writing this blog has helped me to communicate to, well at least a few of you, how I am feeling and thoughts that God has impressed on my heart. I love to talk and I love even more to talk about God. He is my Rock and My salvation. He is my shelter from the storm and my guiding Spirit through this thing called life.
2 Chronicles 15:15 "And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around."
So this entire post is out of a spot of frustration, I have been sick for a few days and I still have trouble resting. I was listening to Sons of Korah on youtube and sure enough a sermon idea came to mind. It has taken all my strength not to write it. So instead I write this blog which brings great joy to me.
Atleast once a week I hope that you take the time that God has given to us as a gift (the Sabbath) and rest. It is a spiritual gift and practice and possibly the hardest of all but one that will bless your soul immensely. TRY IT! YOU WILL LIKE IT!
if we learn to find rest in this world, we may just get out of here alive.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The parable of the sower
In the book of Luke we get to hear the parable of the sower. What a great parable, well this morning it read a bit different to me. It read of great hope and the way that we see others. Not only the way that we see each other but the way or lack there of that we treat each eachother. The parables lies in Luke 8:5-8
5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
When I was reading this parable this morning I got a great vision or feeling in my heart. If we were to just walk innocently with our bag of seed, remember that faith the size of a mustard seed or all we need to do is plant the seed, if or since the bag has a small hole in it, we would scatter seed wherever we went.
I go this picture of a simple person all but skipping. Maybe they were skipping somewhere, but were skipping and just enjoying Life.
So the new parable is as follows: A man that loved Jesus had recently built a beautiful home that he and his wife and children adored. They shared this blessing with anyone that would listen or come over. They always spoke praises of what God has down for them in their lives, how God had provided for them to receive this home. Well, work still needed to be done and this day he decided to finish seeding the lawn, as there were some bear spots, it happens he felt and he was excited and happy to do the work. So he started out on his way to town to get the seed. Being such a beautiful day he decided to walk. Along the way he saw the man that owns the house on the very next corner. He took but a second to say good morning and God bless you to the man, who grumbled something under his breath, but the man kept going with joy in his heart. He came across a young man who was seemed to be just hanging around downtown, it turns out that this youngster was listening to his I-pod, the man greeted him with a good morning and a God bless you before he noticed what the kid was up to, it did not matter to him anyway. The boy never heard a word he the man had said to him, but the man kept walking undeterred. When the gentleman finally got to the store he greeted everyone he saw there with joy in his heart and a smile on his face. He purchased his grass seed and shared another gracious good morning with the clerk. As the man left the store he encountered a young woman who seemed a bit distraught. He took just a brief moment to say Good Morning and God Bless you, to which the young woman told him to leave her alone and continue on his way. He felt the need to tell her that God loves her and that he would pray for her. She muttered something that may have resembled a thanks, and the man continued on. What the man did not notice was that his bag had a small hole in it. Oh sure it was just a little hole in the weaving of the bag. As he passed several other people along the way, some met him with joy and some without, the bag still leaking seed, sometimes on dirt, sometimes on a sidewalk, sometimes it fell on rocks, but the man didn't even notice or concern himself with what was going on behind him. This went on until he got home. When he arrived he finally noticed the hole in the bag and that some of the seed had spilled out. He shrugged it off and went inside where he told his wife of the wonderful adventure he had just had and how beautiful it was out this morning. Never mentioning anything about the hole in the bag and the seed he had spilled out. There was no need to grumble about the lost seed, only the beauty he had just witnessed.
The point is not that we waste seed or time with people, it is that we take the time to spread seed and give some time to others. That we take the time we are given and use it wisely, not muttering and grumbling but loving and smiling. Jesus called us to love our neighbor as ourselves and not judge one another. If we can spend a little more time focusing on what God has given us and what we are to give others, instead of what is going on and how those people are receiving it, we might just change the way things look and feel around here.
If we do this thing right, we might just get out of here alive!
5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
When I was reading this parable this morning I got a great vision or feeling in my heart. If we were to just walk innocently with our bag of seed, remember that faith the size of a mustard seed or all we need to do is plant the seed, if or since the bag has a small hole in it, we would scatter seed wherever we went.
I go this picture of a simple person all but skipping. Maybe they were skipping somewhere, but were skipping and just enjoying Life.
So the new parable is as follows: A man that loved Jesus had recently built a beautiful home that he and his wife and children adored. They shared this blessing with anyone that would listen or come over. They always spoke praises of what God has down for them in their lives, how God had provided for them to receive this home. Well, work still needed to be done and this day he decided to finish seeding the lawn, as there were some bear spots, it happens he felt and he was excited and happy to do the work. So he started out on his way to town to get the seed. Being such a beautiful day he decided to walk. Along the way he saw the man that owns the house on the very next corner. He took but a second to say good morning and God bless you to the man, who grumbled something under his breath, but the man kept going with joy in his heart. He came across a young man who was seemed to be just hanging around downtown, it turns out that this youngster was listening to his I-pod, the man greeted him with a good morning and a God bless you before he noticed what the kid was up to, it did not matter to him anyway. The boy never heard a word he the man had said to him, but the man kept walking undeterred. When the gentleman finally got to the store he greeted everyone he saw there with joy in his heart and a smile on his face. He purchased his grass seed and shared another gracious good morning with the clerk. As the man left the store he encountered a young woman who seemed a bit distraught. He took just a brief moment to say Good Morning and God Bless you, to which the young woman told him to leave her alone and continue on his way. He felt the need to tell her that God loves her and that he would pray for her. She muttered something that may have resembled a thanks, and the man continued on. What the man did not notice was that his bag had a small hole in it. Oh sure it was just a little hole in the weaving of the bag. As he passed several other people along the way, some met him with joy and some without, the bag still leaking seed, sometimes on dirt, sometimes on a sidewalk, sometimes it fell on rocks, but the man didn't even notice or concern himself with what was going on behind him. This went on until he got home. When he arrived he finally noticed the hole in the bag and that some of the seed had spilled out. He shrugged it off and went inside where he told his wife of the wonderful adventure he had just had and how beautiful it was out this morning. Never mentioning anything about the hole in the bag and the seed he had spilled out. There was no need to grumble about the lost seed, only the beauty he had just witnessed.
The point is not that we waste seed or time with people, it is that we take the time to spread seed and give some time to others. That we take the time we are given and use it wisely, not muttering and grumbling but loving and smiling. Jesus called us to love our neighbor as ourselves and not judge one another. If we can spend a little more time focusing on what God has given us and what we are to give others, instead of what is going on and how those people are receiving it, we might just change the way things look and feel around here.
If we do this thing right, we might just get out of here alive!
Monday, September 26, 2011
the TRUTH
So this afternoon I have been doing an inductive bible study on the book of Hebrews, which has little to do with what I am about to write about other than to note why I am in the bible today. So, I am thumbing back into Psalms and run across a message which says: Fred, " Do not fear, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name, you are mine." Isaiah 43: 1
I am not sure how that got in there, but I am sure that an angel disguised as a friend gave this to me for such a time as this. The thoughts of insignificance and lack of faith in the abilities God has placed in me sometimes gets a bit overwhelming, today being one of those times. I am not an academic person.
I am now, God called me to seminary and called me to be a pastor. he would not have done it if He was not going to see me through it. He never called the israelites into a battle and then left them for dead. When they were actively pursuing Him and true to His word, He was always there for them.
When Joseph was sold into slavery, when Daniel was in the Lions Den. When the Israelites marched around Jericho and then shouted and blew horns. The point is the tif God truly does being you to it, He can and will bring you through it.
God changed Abram's name to Abraham, He changed the names of many of His beloved. He has changed my name as well, not that I might be a great and well written biblical scholar, but that I might be able to walk into the calling He has placed upon my life.
Sometimes a new perspective is the best as well as exactly what we need. He is GOOD and his love endures forever. I need to walk out in to the newness that was brought upon Christ's death upon the cross. He did it for you and for me. Change your name if it helps you to recognize that the old is dead and the new lives. Live out the destiny that God created you for, even upon creation and Christ paid for it upon Calvary.
If we do this thing righteously, we just night get out of here alive!
I am not sure how that got in there, but I am sure that an angel disguised as a friend gave this to me for such a time as this. The thoughts of insignificance and lack of faith in the abilities God has placed in me sometimes gets a bit overwhelming, today being one of those times. I am not an academic person.
I am now, God called me to seminary and called me to be a pastor. he would not have done it if He was not going to see me through it. He never called the israelites into a battle and then left them for dead. When they were actively pursuing Him and true to His word, He was always there for them.
When Joseph was sold into slavery, when Daniel was in the Lions Den. When the Israelites marched around Jericho and then shouted and blew horns. The point is the tif God truly does being you to it, He can and will bring you through it.
God changed Abram's name to Abraham, He changed the names of many of His beloved. He has changed my name as well, not that I might be a great and well written biblical scholar, but that I might be able to walk into the calling He has placed upon my life.
Sometimes a new perspective is the best as well as exactly what we need. He is GOOD and his love endures forever. I need to walk out in to the newness that was brought upon Christ's death upon the cross. He did it for you and for me. Change your name if it helps you to recognize that the old is dead and the new lives. Live out the destiny that God created you for, even upon creation and Christ paid for it upon Calvary.
If we do this thing righteously, we just night get out of here alive!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
relationships that change the Shame game for His glory
Christ tells us as Christians that we will face persecution as believers. That we won't be recognized in our home towns. Never in the bible does it say that we will life a life free from persecution or that we will have an easy life.
Too often we act as though we expect to get through this life without battle scares and sorrows. That is not the promise at all. It sucks somedays to be quite honest. It would be a lot easier if Christ would have made that promise to us and subsequently we would not suffer, but He didn't.
An unfortunate consequence is that we go through life almost alone sometimes, it is the rare friendship that is true enough to listen and understand everything. i.e. we don't have a real place to take our issues. Most of us are unaware of our responses to things, as in we don't know why we act the way that we do.
I recently went through a class on shame and grace. What an amazing experience. Rev. Robert Walter taught it at The Masters Institute in Minneapolis Minnesota. We were taught such great things as identifying some of the things from our childhood, times when we were shamed, or guilted into certain things. Those play a part in our childhood and how we felt with things as well as our adult lives and how we still do things.
As we learn how to recognize those symptoms and how to deal with them, we can then start the healing process. Learning how to forgive and break the chains that bind will without a doubt break the chains that bind. In my life there have been so many different things that have brought shame, but I thought that I forgiven those things and those people that caused the shame. I thought that I had forgiven myself for the things that I have done to myself and others. I had stated that I forgave and found that for what ever reason I am holding onto some of those things.
We (my seminary class) got an amazing opportunity - we got to do some Theophostic prayer. An amazing time that involves some of those ingrained memories and thoughts. Recognizing the belief as well as the feeling and then asking Jesus what He might think about it. The amazing part is seeing for yourself that He cares for us, He cares for me and for you. We worship a great God and I am thankful for Jesus and His sacrifice. By my own effort I am not worthy, by His economy, I am made worthy.
Learning to be real with each other and being there for one another, is a great beginning. I pray for God's strength to continue the therapy with Christ and the healing that I know He wants for me. Phillipians 3:20-21-"20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." I continue to grow in Christ and continue to flesh out what the word relationship means. He has laid this on my heart and as well as a genuine love for people. His healing will aid me in being the same person in all circumstances. To be able to Love all His kids, not just the ones that I agree with.
I praise God for His goodness and long for His spirit to dwell so richly in me and for me to be able to walk with Him in all that I do.
If we do this thing in His will, we may just get out of here alive!
Too often we act as though we expect to get through this life without battle scares and sorrows. That is not the promise at all. It sucks somedays to be quite honest. It would be a lot easier if Christ would have made that promise to us and subsequently we would not suffer, but He didn't.
An unfortunate consequence is that we go through life almost alone sometimes, it is the rare friendship that is true enough to listen and understand everything. i.e. we don't have a real place to take our issues. Most of us are unaware of our responses to things, as in we don't know why we act the way that we do.
I recently went through a class on shame and grace. What an amazing experience. Rev. Robert Walter taught it at The Masters Institute in Minneapolis Minnesota. We were taught such great things as identifying some of the things from our childhood, times when we were shamed, or guilted into certain things. Those play a part in our childhood and how we felt with things as well as our adult lives and how we still do things.
As we learn how to recognize those symptoms and how to deal with them, we can then start the healing process. Learning how to forgive and break the chains that bind will without a doubt break the chains that bind. In my life there have been so many different things that have brought shame, but I thought that I forgiven those things and those people that caused the shame. I thought that I had forgiven myself for the things that I have done to myself and others. I had stated that I forgave and found that for what ever reason I am holding onto some of those things.
We (my seminary class) got an amazing opportunity - we got to do some Theophostic prayer. An amazing time that involves some of those ingrained memories and thoughts. Recognizing the belief as well as the feeling and then asking Jesus what He might think about it. The amazing part is seeing for yourself that He cares for us, He cares for me and for you. We worship a great God and I am thankful for Jesus and His sacrifice. By my own effort I am not worthy, by His economy, I am made worthy.
Learning to be real with each other and being there for one another, is a great beginning. I pray for God's strength to continue the therapy with Christ and the healing that I know He wants for me. Phillipians 3:20-21-"20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." I continue to grow in Christ and continue to flesh out what the word relationship means. He has laid this on my heart and as well as a genuine love for people. His healing will aid me in being the same person in all circumstances. To be able to Love all His kids, not just the ones that I agree with.
I praise God for His goodness and long for His spirit to dwell so richly in me and for me to be able to walk with Him in all that I do.
If we do this thing in His will, we may just get out of here alive!
Friday, August 26, 2011
under attack
Off I go. It is the first week of Seminary and already under heavy attack. I have been praying that I could afford school without working. I want more than anything to do a great job for the Lord. I want to be all that Jesus died for me to be. I want to be able to go to school and not work, outside the 15 hours a week internship.
The enemy is hitting me so very hard that I am feeling terrible. I am having times where I feel as though I should not even be here. That is a lie, in the name and blood of Jesus I cast that lie out of my life. This vessel is for the Lord.
I know all the right things to do to cast these thoughts out of my head and heart. I know that they have no place in me, and yet they come. These thoughts invade my sleep and take over when I am not even looking. Taking away the joy of the Lord from my very soul, from my heart. I don't feel like even going to school. I am under attack.
Turn to the word of God Fred, turn to the word of God. So I am praying and praying and God tells me to open up the book. So I open the book and what do I see? Ezekial 15 - Jerusalem, a useless Vine. great God are you telling me I am worthless? Of course He isn't. I am an heir to the thrown, I am a Prince in the Most Royal Family. I Frederick J. Schumacher am Jesus' little brother. I am not worthless. I am worthy of this inheritance. I am worthy of what God Himself has called me to. I am "I Am's" boy. While Ezekial 15 talks about a worthless vine, Ezekial 16 talks about God's love and provision. It talks about how much God loves us. Although on the day of your birth you were not even washed, you lay there in your blood, God saw you and had more for you. 16:6 says"And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood,'LIVE!' " I made you flourish like a plant of the field.
This passage goes on to talk about all the provision of God. When it seems as though you are not enough as Jerusalem surely felt, repent from you worldly views and flourish in God's gifts. He loves you and you can't do anything about that. When the enemy is telling you that you are not enough, tell him to kindly go back to hell where he belongs. Tell him that he has no place in the son or daughter of the Most High God.
God's love endures forever. Do not turn back into the ways of the world. Do not turn to jewels or rely on your own beauty as it talks about in the rest of the chapter. Stay in Daddies arms. Stay where the Son is so nice and warm on your heart, that your skin even feels warm.
Please grab a friend when the enemy is attacking, you may very well be on the brink of something wonderful for the Kingdom. Be encouraged that you are under attack, that means that you are worth it.
If we do this thing right, we might just get out of here alive!
The enemy is hitting me so very hard that I am feeling terrible. I am having times where I feel as though I should not even be here. That is a lie, in the name and blood of Jesus I cast that lie out of my life. This vessel is for the Lord.
I know all the right things to do to cast these thoughts out of my head and heart. I know that they have no place in me, and yet they come. These thoughts invade my sleep and take over when I am not even looking. Taking away the joy of the Lord from my very soul, from my heart. I don't feel like even going to school. I am under attack.
Turn to the word of God Fred, turn to the word of God. So I am praying and praying and God tells me to open up the book. So I open the book and what do I see? Ezekial 15 - Jerusalem, a useless Vine. great God are you telling me I am worthless? Of course He isn't. I am an heir to the thrown, I am a Prince in the Most Royal Family. I Frederick J. Schumacher am Jesus' little brother. I am not worthless. I am worthy of this inheritance. I am worthy of what God Himself has called me to. I am "I Am's" boy. While Ezekial 15 talks about a worthless vine, Ezekial 16 talks about God's love and provision. It talks about how much God loves us. Although on the day of your birth you were not even washed, you lay there in your blood, God saw you and had more for you. 16:6 says"And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood,'LIVE!' " I made you flourish like a plant of the field.
This passage goes on to talk about all the provision of God. When it seems as though you are not enough as Jerusalem surely felt, repent from you worldly views and flourish in God's gifts. He loves you and you can't do anything about that. When the enemy is telling you that you are not enough, tell him to kindly go back to hell where he belongs. Tell him that he has no place in the son or daughter of the Most High God.
God's love endures forever. Do not turn back into the ways of the world. Do not turn to jewels or rely on your own beauty as it talks about in the rest of the chapter. Stay in Daddies arms. Stay where the Son is so nice and warm on your heart, that your skin even feels warm.
Please grab a friend when the enemy is attacking, you may very well be on the brink of something wonderful for the Kingdom. Be encouraged that you are under attack, that means that you are worth it.
If we do this thing right, we might just get out of here alive!
Monday, August 15, 2011
time of need
It is so amazing how, when you think that you couldn't possibly get any more in need of people or reliant upon friends, God shows you another situation. When yo think that you might have a firm grasp on what humility is, think again. God will allow you to learn even more about it.
I have been laid up for a little over a month. I blew my back out the week of Easter. ( It is quite ironic that on the week of easter, I find out the true weight of the cross, or at least enough to get an understanding if only a little bit). I can't carry a five pound bag of potatoes, and yet I need to move in the next few days or so.
Having to rely completely on others for everything is so very humbling. I am moving and for the first time in my life my body is incapable doing any of it or of working as a carpenter. It is time to put my words from the pulpit in to action in my life. When the bible says to rely fully on God and not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow has enough to worry about on it's own. I need to believe that God will in fact provide for me and the journey that He has for me. Seminary is tough enough without all the worries of my inability to provide for myself, not being able to focus and concentrate for any amount of time.
The Proverbs speak of our trust in God: Proverbs 3: 21-26 "My child, do not let these escape from your sight: Keep sound wisdom and prudence, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble. If you sit down," your ill not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the storm that strikes the wicked: for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
God I love you and I have to admit, I don't doubt you, it is me. Sometimes I doubt my ability to listen and follow through with what it is that you will do for me. I need You Lord!
I have to say thanks to God for getting me through the sermon on Sunday. Lord you showed up in the writing and the delivery of the message. You gave me the courage to share my life with the congregation. You gave excellent scripture verses that tied with my life so well. You gave me strength to stand for 30 minutes. Lord you have provided everything that I need, now please let forth the victory chant that tells me we are going to make it. Lord show me how to fight from the victory of the cross. How do I not let the enemy into my life at this stage. God you name dreams of victory - You are Glory! You are Victory! Jesus, the price you paid on the cross is more the enough! Help me walk that in all that I do, help me get rid of doubt.
Dear Lord, help me get out of this thing alive!
I have been laid up for a little over a month. I blew my back out the week of Easter. ( It is quite ironic that on the week of easter, I find out the true weight of the cross, or at least enough to get an understanding if only a little bit). I can't carry a five pound bag of potatoes, and yet I need to move in the next few days or so.
Having to rely completely on others for everything is so very humbling. I am moving and for the first time in my life my body is incapable doing any of it or of working as a carpenter. It is time to put my words from the pulpit in to action in my life. When the bible says to rely fully on God and not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow has enough to worry about on it's own. I need to believe that God will in fact provide for me and the journey that He has for me. Seminary is tough enough without all the worries of my inability to provide for myself, not being able to focus and concentrate for any amount of time.
The Proverbs speak of our trust in God: Proverbs 3: 21-26 "My child, do not let these escape from your sight: Keep sound wisdom and prudence, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble. If you sit down," your ill not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden panic, or of the storm that strikes the wicked: for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.
God I love you and I have to admit, I don't doubt you, it is me. Sometimes I doubt my ability to listen and follow through with what it is that you will do for me. I need You Lord!
I have to say thanks to God for getting me through the sermon on Sunday. Lord you showed up in the writing and the delivery of the message. You gave me the courage to share my life with the congregation. You gave excellent scripture verses that tied with my life so well. You gave me strength to stand for 30 minutes. Lord you have provided everything that I need, now please let forth the victory chant that tells me we are going to make it. Lord show me how to fight from the victory of the cross. How do I not let the enemy into my life at this stage. God you name dreams of victory - You are Glory! You are Victory! Jesus, the price you paid on the cross is more the enough! Help me walk that in all that I do, help me get rid of doubt.
Dear Lord, help me get out of this thing alive!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A rant if you will
The point between Love and Law
This is the point where my Lord dwells
His home is between judgment and righteousness
Between Ego and humility
Where the love pours out like wine, on both the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, the smart and the "ignorant"
Lord how do we enter into this place that you have prepared for us Lord
The place where love is the law
The place that following you Lord is the place we desire to be
To be in constance fellowship with you Lord
How is it that we have gone so far on your grace,
and have yet to walk on our own with you
Lord I feel as though I fail you more than I champion for you
What is this allusive point that I hunt for,
that place between my head and my heart where I seem to get lost more than I am found
To love you to the point of ridicule
To love you to the point of persecution
God my God how is it that you still love me in spite of me
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
It can happen at the drive up?
So, if your anything like me. You, from a young age have found yourself noticing that some people do more than others and you in fact are most often that one that does more.
Most times I try to blow it off and say that I don't mind. I will be honest right now, eventually it will rub on me and I will build resentment about it. Why do I have to do so much more than that person and we either receive the same or frequently they will make more? Why am I busting my back when they are loafing or doing so little?
I bring this up today as I read through 2nd Corinthians 8:12-15- 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
This is really working on me about equality and the whole idea behind this blog - Relationally how do we get through this thing alive? How will we come together if we are always judging "fairness".
We get out alive by not building up resentments and loving one another! We do this by caring for others more than we care for ourselves. you all know that the first shall be last and the last shall be first right, so?
I, and hopefully I am not alone on this one. I seem to have a keen ability assess value to what others do in their days. I can tell you without question whether or not you work hard or not. I can tell you whether you are pulling your weight or not. I have been blessed with the ability to tell if someone is doing all that they can do or not. Hopefully you can read the scarcasm in that.
As I read this passage today it really hit me that I have to reevaluate what or how I look at others and their commitments to this thing called life. Have you ever been blessed by a beautiful steak dinner? How about a small little flower growing out of a crack somewhere that you would never suspect it to be? Has any one ever told you a story or said something nice to you in just the smallest and almost unnoticeable way? Have you ever got a chuckle or a smile out of the old guy driving his farm truck 20 miles and hour under the speed limit?
One day, about 20 years ago, I was driving around Madison Wi. and I was having the absolute worse day of my life. I was on the verge of tears all day. Everything sucked and I mean everything. I am sure that I had contemplated my reason for even being on this earth. I know that it did not matter to me at that time if I was here or not, it would not matter to anyone especially me. I pulled into a McDonald's of all places. I drive up to the menu and I hear this young kid ask how I was doing and if I knew what I wanted and if there was any way that he could help me. This young man sounded as if He knew why he was there. He was just doing his seemingly insignificant job. He delighted in what he was doing though. I could hear hope and joy and love in his voice. I instantly began weeping. I was weeping because a kid that was probably only making 3.50 an hour was doing his job. This kid did not find his job insignificant and neither did I after hearing him. I knew that things would be ok. I knew it from kid at McDonald's. I knew that it would be ok,from that kid's attitude about his "stupid little job.
I look back at it now and I would like to say that God sent a not so insignificant angel for me. I gave the kid a 5.00 tip and said thanks and told him that he may never know how much he just changed my life and my day and drove away. So, while this "kid" made his .30 for his less than five minutes with me, he made a difference in my entire life. So as this "kid went from there to wherever he went after work, and maybe he didn't have an abundance of money,(that is not the real point) he did more than money could ever buy, he helped to save my life that day. He gave from his "little"and gave me a lot.
I am not sure how his day went from that point on or even before hand, but this line of work is often looked down upon by many, it is menial and trivial and matters very little in the grand scheme of things. I guess what I am saying is that while some appear to not do there part, think about it. Do you really know what there part is? Have you been given divine insight to see what they were meant to do today?
Even if they did nothing today or as long as you've known them, maybe it is because you are not giving of your abundance first. Maybe you need to pour out into them. Maybe you can ask them in a genuinely pleasant way today - How may I help you?
While we don't know what each other is suppose to do from moment to moment, it is my argument that we know what we are suppose to do.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF!
Do not worry about what others are or aren't doing, worry about what Christ is doing in and through you!
If we do this correctly, we just might get out of this thing alive!
Most times I try to blow it off and say that I don't mind. I will be honest right now, eventually it will rub on me and I will build resentment about it. Why do I have to do so much more than that person and we either receive the same or frequently they will make more? Why am I busting my back when they are loafing or doing so little?
I bring this up today as I read through 2nd Corinthians 8:12-15- 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
This is really working on me about equality and the whole idea behind this blog - Relationally how do we get through this thing alive? How will we come together if we are always judging "fairness".
We get out alive by not building up resentments and loving one another! We do this by caring for others more than we care for ourselves. you all know that the first shall be last and the last shall be first right, so?
I, and hopefully I am not alone on this one. I seem to have a keen ability assess value to what others do in their days. I can tell you without question whether or not you work hard or not. I can tell you whether you are pulling your weight or not. I have been blessed with the ability to tell if someone is doing all that they can do or not. Hopefully you can read the scarcasm in that.
As I read this passage today it really hit me that I have to reevaluate what or how I look at others and their commitments to this thing called life. Have you ever been blessed by a beautiful steak dinner? How about a small little flower growing out of a crack somewhere that you would never suspect it to be? Has any one ever told you a story or said something nice to you in just the smallest and almost unnoticeable way? Have you ever got a chuckle or a smile out of the old guy driving his farm truck 20 miles and hour under the speed limit?
One day, about 20 years ago, I was driving around Madison Wi. and I was having the absolute worse day of my life. I was on the verge of tears all day. Everything sucked and I mean everything. I am sure that I had contemplated my reason for even being on this earth. I know that it did not matter to me at that time if I was here or not, it would not matter to anyone especially me. I pulled into a McDonald's of all places. I drive up to the menu and I hear this young kid ask how I was doing and if I knew what I wanted and if there was any way that he could help me. This young man sounded as if He knew why he was there. He was just doing his seemingly insignificant job. He delighted in what he was doing though. I could hear hope and joy and love in his voice. I instantly began weeping. I was weeping because a kid that was probably only making 3.50 an hour was doing his job. This kid did not find his job insignificant and neither did I after hearing him. I knew that things would be ok. I knew it from kid at McDonald's. I knew that it would be ok,from that kid's attitude about his "stupid little job.
I look back at it now and I would like to say that God sent a not so insignificant angel for me. I gave the kid a 5.00 tip and said thanks and told him that he may never know how much he just changed my life and my day and drove away. So, while this "kid" made his .30 for his less than five minutes with me, he made a difference in my entire life. So as this "kid went from there to wherever he went after work, and maybe he didn't have an abundance of money,(that is not the real point) he did more than money could ever buy, he helped to save my life that day. He gave from his "little"and gave me a lot.
I am not sure how his day went from that point on or even before hand, but this line of work is often looked down upon by many, it is menial and trivial and matters very little in the grand scheme of things. I guess what I am saying is that while some appear to not do there part, think about it. Do you really know what there part is? Have you been given divine insight to see what they were meant to do today?
Even if they did nothing today or as long as you've known them, maybe it is because you are not giving of your abundance first. Maybe you need to pour out into them. Maybe you can ask them in a genuinely pleasant way today - How may I help you?
While we don't know what each other is suppose to do from moment to moment, it is my argument that we know what we are suppose to do.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF!
Do not worry about what others are or aren't doing, worry about what Christ is doing in and through you!
If we do this correctly, we just might get out of this thing alive!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
way of the warrior
A wonderful book entitled qualities of a spiritual warrior has been so revitalizing. Graham Cooke wrote the book in 2008 as a way to help people realize the power they have in Christ.
One of the struggles I have always had in my life has been being reactionary. I frequently react to circumstances that need my tending to. This could be someone picking on the under privileged or maybe something not quite so hero - esk. If it was not an action type situation such as the previously mentioned, it could be my getting upset when things did not go quite right for me or someone said something to me that was upsetting. How about road rage or being tested in the realm of patients.
Reacting to situations is something I am quite good at - if you will. This book talks about those things as well as helps you to get through them. Seeing scripturally how God has made provision for us. He has us covered, He already thought of it. He talks about how much God loves us. We know from scripture that God delights in us, but Graham describes this as God bubbling in enthusiasm for us. That certainly puts a great big smile on my face.
These descriptions help me to keep up the fight. To continue to run the race, to endure in what He has called me to do. If God so desires a relationship with me that He bubbles in enthusiasm for me, it is my blessing to do the same in return. This brings up a question for me, how do I love Him the way that He loves me? It is necessary to be genuine in our pursuit of Him. To ask Him truthfully what is in our hearts. If we are able to be real with God, won't that show in all that we do? It should show in our relationships with others, and that is the catch for me. That is something that truly draws me in, draws me deeper into a relationship with Him and others.
Many times the church is it's own worst enemy. We rely on our own abilities to understand and relate to people we only see on Sundays ( most of the time). Remember when I talked about judging people and their walk with Christ. It is easy to see that I have been relying on my own understanding of God and what He would want from me.
Graham has an amazing quote in this book.
"This is the land of the religious and the Pharisee, where men make God in their own image; and intellectual study governs our thinking. We have no internal perception of God's true reality, and our logic based faith is so reasonable we cannot achieve anything with it."
If we only fix our eyes on what we learn from a book, we can never fix our eyes on what He is showing us - how much He loves us and how much we are to Love others. We can never get fixated on peoples performances or the way that we think they should be that we forget to Love them where they are at, the way that Christ took us - as is - damaged goods - He bubbles with enthusiasm for us!
Can we take from example - What He has shown us - can we be the difference that changes the world? Can we show a love that is undeniable to those who know no love like this?
It is my recommendation that everyone who has an interest in knowing God more intimately - read this one! it is simply amazing!
If we do these things correctly or with a true heart, we might just get out of this thing alive!
One of the struggles I have always had in my life has been being reactionary. I frequently react to circumstances that need my tending to. This could be someone picking on the under privileged or maybe something not quite so hero - esk. If it was not an action type situation such as the previously mentioned, it could be my getting upset when things did not go quite right for me or someone said something to me that was upsetting. How about road rage or being tested in the realm of patients.
Reacting to situations is something I am quite good at - if you will. This book talks about those things as well as helps you to get through them. Seeing scripturally how God has made provision for us. He has us covered, He already thought of it. He talks about how much God loves us. We know from scripture that God delights in us, but Graham describes this as God bubbling in enthusiasm for us. That certainly puts a great big smile on my face.
These descriptions help me to keep up the fight. To continue to run the race, to endure in what He has called me to do. If God so desires a relationship with me that He bubbles in enthusiasm for me, it is my blessing to do the same in return. This brings up a question for me, how do I love Him the way that He loves me? It is necessary to be genuine in our pursuit of Him. To ask Him truthfully what is in our hearts. If we are able to be real with God, won't that show in all that we do? It should show in our relationships with others, and that is the catch for me. That is something that truly draws me in, draws me deeper into a relationship with Him and others.
Many times the church is it's own worst enemy. We rely on our own abilities to understand and relate to people we only see on Sundays ( most of the time). Remember when I talked about judging people and their walk with Christ. It is easy to see that I have been relying on my own understanding of God and what He would want from me.
Graham has an amazing quote in this book.
"This is the land of the religious and the Pharisee, where men make God in their own image; and intellectual study governs our thinking. We have no internal perception of God's true reality, and our logic based faith is so reasonable we cannot achieve anything with it."
If we only fix our eyes on what we learn from a book, we can never fix our eyes on what He is showing us - how much He loves us and how much we are to Love others. We can never get fixated on peoples performances or the way that we think they should be that we forget to Love them where they are at, the way that Christ took us - as is - damaged goods - He bubbles with enthusiasm for us!
Can we take from example - What He has shown us - can we be the difference that changes the world? Can we show a love that is undeniable to those who know no love like this?
It is my recommendation that everyone who has an interest in knowing God more intimately - read this one! it is simply amazing!
If we do these things correctly or with a true heart, we might just get out of this thing alive!
Monday, June 13, 2011
what we are talking about
So many times in our lives we have probably heard that "nothing changes if nothing changes", "if everything stays the same nothing changes".
These are such Duh statements and yet, we don't change. We allow our society to tell us,(those that should know better) what is ok or how we should do our faith. We allow people to tell us virtually what we are thinking and how we should do that.
I subscribe to a daily devotion called inward /outward it is from church of the savior. I want to share with you todays quote which drives this point home for me.
Behold the New
We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!' With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God!'
Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world.
These are such Duh statements and yet, we don't change. We allow our society to tell us,(those that should know better) what is ok or how we should do our faith. We allow people to tell us virtually what we are thinking and how we should do that.
I subscribe to a daily devotion called inward /outward it is from church of the savior. I want to share with you todays quote which drives this point home for me.
Behold the New
Elizabeth O'Connor
"The church is not going to be different until someone in it is different. God waits for each of us to hear, "Behold, I do a new thing--through you!" The question is always: Can we open our lives so that the Holy Spirit may descend and new power break that we may be the kind of person around whom renewal begins?"
Source: Call to Commitment
If we are to change, I suggest that you start with you. Haver the courage to stand for what you believe, as Christ did. He died on a tree that we might have the ability to do so. It can all start when we don't do what society says is right, rather do what Christ has taught us is right. Just do the next right thing.
I received an email that has a great Billy Graham quote:
'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!' With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God!'
Think about this: If you forward this prayer to everyone on your e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be heard by the world.
'One Nation Under God!
Remember if we do this thing right, we just might get out of here alive. The price has already been paid - will you accept?
Friday, June 10, 2011
Perspective
Looking at life the way that Christ did. It shouldn't be that tough, should it?
We who live in America are truly blessed. We have so much wealth that we get angry and depressed when we cannot purchase the latest and greatest toys or material goods. We get to a point emotionally that goes beyond what many people of this world would understand.
Christ walked this earth with only a few things, what we would certainly call nothing. He had a the clothes on His back. He had sandals on His feet. He had 12 "friends", that was about it. Ooooops , forgot the greatest two things. His love for God the Father and His love for His brothers and sisters. Christ lived His entire life to love God and love His neighbors. Not for what the world could give Him but rather what He could give the world
If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, what would you have to take with you? Ask this question and then throw in the idea that you can take the top 10 favorite things. Make the list, go ahead and write them down.
If your done with your list, evaluate said list. Are there more material things on your list that have nothing do do with your faith in Christ? How does that make you feel about what you values? Does it at least make you think about things a little bit different?
We are told to love our neighbor as our selves. Was one of the things on your list your best friend or your family? Was another your bible or another form of the Gospel message?
King Solomon once had to work out the thoughts and efforts of his heart verse his faith in God. Is it ok to want? Does your want include God's will?
His efforts are recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility. I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men--many concubines.Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.
He came up with a great answer in verses 12 through 17. He is basically saying that a person needs to be wiser than the fool. Chase after the light vs. the darkness, or you and a fool will chase after the same things. Both the fool and you will die, so what is the difference?
Christ set the example. Don't struggle and strain to gain earthly things, work hard to walk with God. This will mean that you need to change your perspective. What does success look like to you and your friends. How would you define success?
I am not sure if anyone of us will ever get this perfect,. but if we try to see things the way that Christ would have, maybe just maybe we can get out of this thing alive.
We who live in America are truly blessed. We have so much wealth that we get angry and depressed when we cannot purchase the latest and greatest toys or material goods. We get to a point emotionally that goes beyond what many people of this world would understand.
Christ walked this earth with only a few things, what we would certainly call nothing. He had a the clothes on His back. He had sandals on His feet. He had 12 "friends", that was about it. Ooooops , forgot the greatest two things. His love for God the Father and His love for His brothers and sisters. Christ lived His entire life to love God and love His neighbors. Not for what the world could give Him but rather what He could give the world
If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, what would you have to take with you? Ask this question and then throw in the idea that you can take the top 10 favorite things. Make the list, go ahead and write them down.
If your done with your list, evaluate said list. Are there more material things on your list that have nothing do do with your faith in Christ? How does that make you feel about what you values? Does it at least make you think about things a little bit different?
We are told to love our neighbor as our selves. Was one of the things on your list your best friend or your family? Was another your bible or another form of the Gospel message?
King Solomon once had to work out the thoughts and efforts of his heart verse his faith in God. Is it ok to want? Does your want include God's will?
His efforts are recorded in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
I said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So enjoy yourself." And behold, it too was futility. I said of laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it accomplish?" I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees.I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men--many concubines.Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me. All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor. Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.
He came up with a great answer in verses 12 through 17. He is basically saying that a person needs to be wiser than the fool. Chase after the light vs. the darkness, or you and a fool will chase after the same things. Both the fool and you will die, so what is the difference?
Christ set the example. Don't struggle and strain to gain earthly things, work hard to walk with God. This will mean that you need to change your perspective. What does success look like to you and your friends. How would you define success?
I am not sure if anyone of us will ever get this perfect,. but if we try to see things the way that Christ would have, maybe just maybe we can get out of this thing alive.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
the tough call
Concrete Love
Henri J. M. Nouwen
I find it difficult to conceive of a more concrete way to love than by praying for one's enemies. It makes you conscious of the hard fact that, in God's eyes, you're no more and no less worthy of being loved than any other person, and it creates an awareness of profound solidarity with all other human beings.... And you'll be delighted to discover that you can no longer remain angry with people for whom you've really and truly prayed.
Source: Letters to Marc About Jesus
These are the things that seem so tough for us to do. How do we love in the moment or even after the "moment"?
We "I" can place myself in a self righteous bubble and forget about my commitment to God and His kids. He loved me when I couldn't find the strength, energy or reason to do so myself.
As I spoke about in the blog about the C& E'ers, we must learn to love everyone all the time. It is not to say that you won't get upset or even a bit worse. Our initial energy needs to be spent on loving them.
As Henri says, Love can be just praying for someone. I know that there are several people that I feel quite angry with. Do I want to be anywhere near them right now - NO!- Am I called to love them - YES! -
How can I do this if I can't get near them? I can lift them up in prayer. To pray that God might show us how to calm the current storm in our lives. Sometimes I have to pray just to trust enough to leave the situation alone. To be able to walk away from those things that are annoying me.
In my current situation I have prayed for the heart of Christ to be present, He has. I have been close to the persons that have wronged me and God's grace fell upon my lips. I spoke respectfully to these people. I gave them the love of Christ. I did not give them what I felt they deserved. That is only possible through prayer. Trust me I am no saint, it was clearly God intervening in my life at those moments.
Today, can we pray for someone that we "hate" or dislike. Maybe someone who has wronged you in the past. Can we at least take care of our side of the street, by not holding grudges and stop holding on to those things that tear us up inside. You cannot make someone else respond to you in a way that you feel worthy of, you can however control what and how you respond to them and others.
If we do this thing right, we might just get out of here alive.
Monday, May 30, 2011
interesting conversation with a friend
So, yesterday I had a very interesting conversation with a friend of mine. We were talking about a motorcycle. This conversation then went into a talk about God and church and the whole "religious thing". I am always trying to help people understand that it is religion that is killing Christ's church today, and has been for 2 thousand years or at least 1700 years.
Do to a recent adventure in "church" I have a bit of a foul taste in my mouth as does my friend. My taste will go away and to be honest I find it quite inspiring. For my friend however, not so much. He was "burned" by the hypocrisy of the church at a young age. He was confirmed and all that jazz but he then left the church. He would see people that felt they were doing "there piece" by going to church on sunday. This would lead those people to feel as though they have done there part. They are done for the week, "let's get back to the way life is suppose to be". The feeling that if they just do church on sunday morning they would be done with their obligations to Christ, or they have again"paid their insurance policy".
All to often we hear of people who have been burned or upset by the church. What can we do to help them? Do we want to help them? Is it our mission to help them?
If you think about it, they have been taught what Christ stood and died for - right?
Are these people the ones that are throwing the baby out with the bath water?
Many times the church does not act like the bride of Christ. We behave no different than those that do not know the love of Christ.
We do need to be change, we need to reach our hands out to those who have been taught falsely. We must continue to teach forgiveness and compassion in all circumstances.
Talking with my friend about the differences between religion and a follower of Christ. I love these conversations. For the first time since I gave my life to Christ I feel as though My friend actually listened to me. He has not sworn his life to Christ, but he is listening.
We talked about how people are to love one another and how we are to forgive one another. We talked about how the issues in the church are not a lot different than those outside the church. We talked about
how so many people are doing this thing wrong, not that I am doing it right, but I am trying.
We talked about how those things that have happened to me might not be right but, I must forgive and press on. We talked about Paul and how things did not exactly go right for him. We talked about why I would bother going to school to learn how to do this thing called church when I could just pay $59.00 and be ordained that way. We talked about how important it is to some people to see the ordination papers above the pastors head.
All this to say - We had conversation about the things that were both right and wrong with the church. We talked - He spoke I listened - I spoke he listened! We had edifying conversation. For the first time in a long time the person that he was talking to was not talking to him not from a pedestal, but rather up to his level. He felt as though someone was listening rather than judging and telling.
Don't get me wrong, it is not easy to listen to some of the arguments that he had - they were good and well thought out. They were wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove. He knows why he does not like church, I could not argue as they are valid but still wrong things about the church. I am quite thankful for this conversation and to have a friend that will in fact tell it like he sees it.
If I love Christ, I have to listen to these and many others. These are the arguments from the streets. These are the discussions that have to happen. Jesus listened and talked WITH the woman at the well. He was not condescending or snide. He knew who she was and what she was and still He spoke to her. He is the example that CAN be followed.
We as followers of Christ must learn to be more like Christ. Let's not just be Jesus for two weeks after a mountain top experience. Those experiences that are so transformative - let's rise up from our religious bog and enjoy the beautiful valleys. Can we take time to smell the valley flowers and look high to the majestic mountain tops, remembering that it is almost impossible to live at the tip of a mountain. Let's remember that Jesus came down to us. Even Christ came down to be with us. Let's try to remember where we were assigned to be - In the Big Valleys below the majestic mountain tops. It is gorgeous here.
Maybe, just maybe if we get this part right, we can get out of this thing alive!
Do to a recent adventure in "church" I have a bit of a foul taste in my mouth as does my friend. My taste will go away and to be honest I find it quite inspiring. For my friend however, not so much. He was "burned" by the hypocrisy of the church at a young age. He was confirmed and all that jazz but he then left the church. He would see people that felt they were doing "there piece" by going to church on sunday. This would lead those people to feel as though they have done there part. They are done for the week, "let's get back to the way life is suppose to be". The feeling that if they just do church on sunday morning they would be done with their obligations to Christ, or they have again"paid their insurance policy".
All to often we hear of people who have been burned or upset by the church. What can we do to help them? Do we want to help them? Is it our mission to help them?
If you think about it, they have been taught what Christ stood and died for - right?
Are these people the ones that are throwing the baby out with the bath water?
Many times the church does not act like the bride of Christ. We behave no different than those that do not know the love of Christ.
We do need to be change, we need to reach our hands out to those who have been taught falsely. We must continue to teach forgiveness and compassion in all circumstances.
Talking with my friend about the differences between religion and a follower of Christ. I love these conversations. For the first time since I gave my life to Christ I feel as though My friend actually listened to me. He has not sworn his life to Christ, but he is listening.
We talked about how people are to love one another and how we are to forgive one another. We talked about how the issues in the church are not a lot different than those outside the church. We talked about
how so many people are doing this thing wrong, not that I am doing it right, but I am trying.
We talked about how those things that have happened to me might not be right but, I must forgive and press on. We talked about Paul and how things did not exactly go right for him. We talked about why I would bother going to school to learn how to do this thing called church when I could just pay $59.00 and be ordained that way. We talked about how important it is to some people to see the ordination papers above the pastors head.
All this to say - We had conversation about the things that were both right and wrong with the church. We talked - He spoke I listened - I spoke he listened! We had edifying conversation. For the first time in a long time the person that he was talking to was not talking to him not from a pedestal, but rather up to his level. He felt as though someone was listening rather than judging and telling.
Don't get me wrong, it is not easy to listen to some of the arguments that he had - they were good and well thought out. They were wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove. He knows why he does not like church, I could not argue as they are valid but still wrong things about the church. I am quite thankful for this conversation and to have a friend that will in fact tell it like he sees it.
If I love Christ, I have to listen to these and many others. These are the arguments from the streets. These are the discussions that have to happen. Jesus listened and talked WITH the woman at the well. He was not condescending or snide. He knew who she was and what she was and still He spoke to her. He is the example that CAN be followed.
We as followers of Christ must learn to be more like Christ. Let's not just be Jesus for two weeks after a mountain top experience. Those experiences that are so transformative - let's rise up from our religious bog and enjoy the beautiful valleys. Can we take time to smell the valley flowers and look high to the majestic mountain tops, remembering that it is almost impossible to live at the tip of a mountain. Let's remember that Jesus came down to us. Even Christ came down to be with us. Let's try to remember where we were assigned to be - In the Big Valleys below the majestic mountain tops. It is gorgeous here.
Maybe, just maybe if we get this part right, we can get out of this thing alive!
Friday, May 20, 2011
The cost, cast from the Cross
The woman at the well teaches us more than what is obvious. Jesus was out of place. He would not have been at that well if He were to be a “good jew”. He went to show us how to be great children of God.
If you believe that this is God’s world, then you must believe that it is God’s world. The entire world falls under the salvation of the cross. Jesus died for all of us, not just those that are saved. He died for those that did not know His Father as well, or maybe did not know God yet.
I learned this while reading a devotion from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
This devotion was about intercessory prayer. It went just like this - “Offering intercessory prayer means nothing more other than Christians bringing one another into the presence of God, seeing each other under the cross of Jesus as poor human beings and sinners in need of grace. Then, everything about other people that repels me falls away. Then I see them in all their need, hardship, and distress. Their need and their sin become so heavy and oppressive to me that I feel as if they were my own, and I can do nothing else but bid: Lord, you yourself, you alone, deal with them according to your firmness and your goodness”.
If we think of the sun shining down on the earth. Think about who is affected by that sun throughout the course of a day. Now put the cross in between the earth and the sun. Who then is affected by the shadow of the cross.
The cross that our Lord and Savior died upon affects each and every person on this planet, equally. So with that being said, it is easy to see that God does not love any one of us more than the other. He loves us equally. In fact His Son on the night in which He was betrayed made this last request. He requested that we love our neighbor as ourselves. He said in other books or version of the same story, which means the same thing. He said Love your neighbor as I have loved the church. John 13:34 We are the church.
So when we see others not acting according to the way that WE feel they should, should we judge and ridicule them? Should we love them where they are at? What is it that we should do? Should we sit by the well and wait for the town whorelett to come and serve us water? Should we waste our time as others have done for us, teaching the word of God, to those that it seems hopeless to teach? Should we lift them up in intercessory prayer?
God will work with everyone for their part in this ultimate drama. This thing that we call life. God will if your willing to listen, give you your assignment. You need only be willing to listen for it, trust in what you hear and feel. Enjoy your time in the shade, get rested, get out and do God’s work. Your under the same light as the rest of this creation.
Give yourself and others the opportunity to get out of this thing alive!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Relational life
So, how do we be " relational"? How do we live "relationally"?
I mean really, let's face the truth, some times people really suck! Sometimes I wouldn't give a penny to help some people out. Now I know that sounds pretty harsh, but what is the difference if I say it or live it?
If I don't live my life with the love of Christ and live out the Great Commandment, what's the point? Why would I bother to go to church and profess my love for Christ? This question has haunted me forever, or at least as long as I have lived my life for Christ, What is the point?
I have been blessed with an opportunity to do ministry full time. While I was doing ministry, I found myself being the one getting ministered too. I accepted the position with great excitement. I thought that I would get to read the bible all the time and pray for people, man oh man, I was made for this job! Well let me tell you that could not be farther from the truth for me. I found myself trapped in this world of temptation. The temptation to idolize my work and my efforts more that I loved God. I quickly found myself working 80+ hours a week and never really reading or praying. I never found myself meditating on the word of God.
I was trying to finish up one ministry program while also trying to do a few other ministry programs. My life had become so full of doing God's work, that I forgot one major piece. I forgot God! I forgot to honor Him above and beyond all things and people. I put my goals and what God had called me to above worshipping God. I had skipped the beginning, I had become a hypocrite!
It was Christmas eve 2010 about 11:45 p.m. Church was finished and everyone had gone home. I had finished all that I needed to do for the night and was talking to a friend. We were talking about all the people that had come through the doors of the church that day and night. How these people think that they are saved and the fact that they are so far from the truth. Then we discussed the errors of their ways and a few other things, such as - do they think they are saved? Do they really feel any better for "wasting" an hour of their lives? The "Chreaster" phenomenon is well known throughout the faith communities(those that only worship on Christmas and Easter)\, and one that will never be looked at the same, at least by me.
Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. If I truly feel this way about some of these people, am I doing the will of God? The answer is NO! I am not loving anyone of these people the way that I am suppose to!
If someone comes into this building and wants to worship God with myself and the rest of the congregation, shouldn't we let them? Or, is it right that they may feel the bad taste that I have on my lips, or feel my self righteous judgement on them? Can they feel that I don't really love them the way that I love myself? Do they feel welcome in "the House of the Lord". Do they feel loved by God in the place that we call "the house of God". I think it is Casting Crowns that talks about this in one of their songs - They sing about the judgmental glances reaching farther that they know. I know this stuff and yet here I go, judging everyone that I don't know.
Shame on me I thought. But, God in His mercy showed up immediately. As soon as I began to bash myself so harshly. He reminded me of the truth. He reminded me that He still loves me and that He always will. He reminded me that this is a journey and that He already knows that I will make mistakes. He reminded me that He loves me without judgement. He reminded me that a father still loves His child, even when they fall. It is the Love of Christ that shows us what we must do and how we must do it.
Let me start by saying - I AM SORRY! Lord I repent of those behaviors and vow to do my best to walk as your Son did. Loving those you place in front of me, even those that are a little off to the side of me.
This blog is some of what has come out of Christmas 2010. Working out the truth with His grace, mercy and wisdom. Fumbling through this thing called life. Trying harder than anything ever in the past to love when and where it counts. EVERYWHERE AND EVERYONE. These are the chosen people of God. Whomever He sets in front of us.
1 Corinthians 13:1- 3 - "If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing"
This confirms my suspicions : We are to Love first!
If we keep the first thing first, won't the rest just come along with it?
It is my thought that I need to always remember these few things. Jesus summed it up into two sentences.
John 13:34 -" I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another".
Then He said and this will help us all get the word of God to many nations: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13: 35
If I can keep the first thing the first thing and continue to learn and grow, I might just get out of this thing alive.
I mean really, let's face the truth, some times people really suck! Sometimes I wouldn't give a penny to help some people out. Now I know that sounds pretty harsh, but what is the difference if I say it or live it?
If I don't live my life with the love of Christ and live out the Great Commandment, what's the point? Why would I bother to go to church and profess my love for Christ? This question has haunted me forever, or at least as long as I have lived my life for Christ, What is the point?
I have been blessed with an opportunity to do ministry full time. While I was doing ministry, I found myself being the one getting ministered too. I accepted the position with great excitement. I thought that I would get to read the bible all the time and pray for people, man oh man, I was made for this job! Well let me tell you that could not be farther from the truth for me. I found myself trapped in this world of temptation. The temptation to idolize my work and my efforts more that I loved God. I quickly found myself working 80+ hours a week and never really reading or praying. I never found myself meditating on the word of God.
I was trying to finish up one ministry program while also trying to do a few other ministry programs. My life had become so full of doing God's work, that I forgot one major piece. I forgot God! I forgot to honor Him above and beyond all things and people. I put my goals and what God had called me to above worshipping God. I had skipped the beginning, I had become a hypocrite!
It was Christmas eve 2010 about 11:45 p.m. Church was finished and everyone had gone home. I had finished all that I needed to do for the night and was talking to a friend. We were talking about all the people that had come through the doors of the church that day and night. How these people think that they are saved and the fact that they are so far from the truth. Then we discussed the errors of their ways and a few other things, such as - do they think they are saved? Do they really feel any better for "wasting" an hour of their lives? The "Chreaster" phenomenon is well known throughout the faith communities(those that only worship on Christmas and Easter)\, and one that will never be looked at the same, at least by me.
Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. If I truly feel this way about some of these people, am I doing the will of God? The answer is NO! I am not loving anyone of these people the way that I am suppose to!
If someone comes into this building and wants to worship God with myself and the rest of the congregation, shouldn't we let them? Or, is it right that they may feel the bad taste that I have on my lips, or feel my self righteous judgement on them? Can they feel that I don't really love them the way that I love myself? Do they feel welcome in "the House of the Lord". Do they feel loved by God in the place that we call "the house of God". I think it is Casting Crowns that talks about this in one of their songs - They sing about the judgmental glances reaching farther that they know. I know this stuff and yet here I go, judging everyone that I don't know.
Shame on me I thought. But, God in His mercy showed up immediately. As soon as I began to bash myself so harshly. He reminded me of the truth. He reminded me that He still loves me and that He always will. He reminded me that this is a journey and that He already knows that I will make mistakes. He reminded me that He loves me without judgement. He reminded me that a father still loves His child, even when they fall. It is the Love of Christ that shows us what we must do and how we must do it.
Let me start by saying - I AM SORRY! Lord I repent of those behaviors and vow to do my best to walk as your Son did. Loving those you place in front of me, even those that are a little off to the side of me.
This blog is some of what has come out of Christmas 2010. Working out the truth with His grace, mercy and wisdom. Fumbling through this thing called life. Trying harder than anything ever in the past to love when and where it counts. EVERYWHERE AND EVERYONE. These are the chosen people of God. Whomever He sets in front of us.
1 Corinthians 13:1- 3 - "If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing"
This confirms my suspicions : We are to Love first!
If we keep the first thing first, won't the rest just come along with it?
It is my thought that I need to always remember these few things. Jesus summed it up into two sentences.
John 13:34 -" I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another".
Then He said and this will help us all get the word of God to many nations: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13: 35
If I can keep the first thing the first thing and continue to learn and grow, I might just get out of this thing alive.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The beginning
The Big valley is a look at the Journey between mountain tops. So often in a Christians life, we talk about all of the "mountain top" experiences. Life gets pretty exciting there, we have just come out of a conference or a weekend retreat. We get what others call a "Jesus High". We talk about how nothing will ever take this away. " I am going to change my life forever".
Not a bad thing necessarily, but it is not where we live life. Life happens for most of us in the Big Valley. Life between the mountain top experiences. Life gets back to "normal".
People get back to normal or is it that we get back to normal. We have returned home from the highest of highs. We are back to the old grind and doing things as normal, "our way". Our realization that we can't do everything by ourselves returns, which leads to anxiety, which leads to mood swings and worse.
We get back to life where God happens on Sunday morning or maybe one or two other times during our week. We stop loving without expectations and disappointments. Everything is as it was before our grand trip up the mountain. We remember what it means to be "us" without God.
Life without God is life without breathing clean air. It is never realizing what this world has to offer. To go for the slam dunk and hit the rim every time "DENIED"!
Life between the Mountain tops or Life in the Valleys does not have to be the way that we make it out to be. Life in the Big Valleys can actually be the great experience. It can be as high as any Mountain top experience. Life in the Valleys can be as exciting as any other time in our lives.
We need to help one another out of the Big Ruts in those Big Valleys. We must, if there is any hope of getting out of this thing alive, we must learn to help one another! To help our brothers and sisters the way that Christ meant for us to help each other. The way that God planned this great big thing to go.
We must learn to Love when loving is the last thing that we want to do. We must learn to RISE ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES. We must learn to be as Graham Cooke says "Spiritual Warriors". Graham Cooke - Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior "Warriors do not react to their circumstances, they respond to God". This is a life that relies heavily on us living the life that Christ calls us to. It is displayed in the book of Acts. This book is a great look at how we can help each other, how we can live together.
Acts 2:42-44 "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common".
This life, is life in the Big Valley. All they had was their faith in God and each other. They lived with the Holy Spirit always.
So, this blog will be my journey together with my brothers and sisters. Trying our hardest to live that life.
"All Honor and Glory to God"
Not a bad thing necessarily, but it is not where we live life. Life happens for most of us in the Big Valley. Life between the mountain top experiences. Life gets back to "normal".
People get back to normal or is it that we get back to normal. We have returned home from the highest of highs. We are back to the old grind and doing things as normal, "our way". Our realization that we can't do everything by ourselves returns, which leads to anxiety, which leads to mood swings and worse.
We get back to life where God happens on Sunday morning or maybe one or two other times during our week. We stop loving without expectations and disappointments. Everything is as it was before our grand trip up the mountain. We remember what it means to be "us" without God.
Life without God is life without breathing clean air. It is never realizing what this world has to offer. To go for the slam dunk and hit the rim every time "DENIED"!
Life between the Mountain tops or Life in the Valleys does not have to be the way that we make it out to be. Life in the Big Valleys can actually be the great experience. It can be as high as any Mountain top experience. Life in the Valleys can be as exciting as any other time in our lives.
We need to help one another out of the Big Ruts in those Big Valleys. We must, if there is any hope of getting out of this thing alive, we must learn to help one another! To help our brothers and sisters the way that Christ meant for us to help each other. The way that God planned this great big thing to go.
We must learn to Love when loving is the last thing that we want to do. We must learn to RISE ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES. We must learn to be as Graham Cooke says "Spiritual Warriors". Graham Cooke - Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior "Warriors do not react to their circumstances, they respond to God". This is a life that relies heavily on us living the life that Christ calls us to. It is displayed in the book of Acts. This book is a great look at how we can help each other, how we can live together.
Acts 2:42-44 "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common".
This life, is life in the Big Valley. All they had was their faith in God and each other. They lived with the Holy Spirit always.
So, this blog will be my journey together with my brothers and sisters. Trying our hardest to live that life.
"All Honor and Glory to God"
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