To be like . . . . .

it’s not easy to be like Jesus.   being like Jesus ensures you’ll be persecuted.  it ensures you’ll be talked about and make fun of.  but oh, the rewards to come.  there is no compromise when you are being like Jesus.  there are absolutely absolutes.  the good news is that Jesus speaks very clearly about what he desires.  Jesus himself, in red letters, says what to do with someone who calls themself a Christian or Brother, and commits sin.  this does not apply to someone who is not a Christian.

Matt 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

I cor 5:9 I wrote you in my earlier letter that you shouldn’t make yourselves at home among the sexually promiscuous. 10 I didn’t mean that you should have nothing at all to do with outsiders of that sort. Or with crooks, whether blue- or white-collar. Or with spiritual phonies, for that matter. You’d have to leave the world entirely to do that! 11 But I am saying that you shouldn’t act as if everything is just fine when one of your Christian companions is promiscuous or crooked, is flip with God or rude to friends, gets drunk or becomes greedy and predatory. You can’t just go along with this, treating it as acceptable behavior. 12 I’m not responsible for what the outsiders do, but don’t we have some responsibility for those within our community of believers? 13 God decides on the outsiders, but we need to decide when our brothers and sisters are out of line and, if necessary, clean house.

the key is a repentant heart.  a person who will recieve correction and repent (turn around) can be restored to the house.  those that refuse to take responsibility must be removed. 

following the rules of God aren’t easy and they will bring persecution but to keep the presence of the Lord in your camp, it must be done.  thank you Lord for the strength to follow your Word.  Thank you Lord for men of God that won’t compromise.

. . . . the love shack.

welcome to the love shack.  on the menu today is the love feast.  it’s a buffet that i’m giving away to you, all of you.  included on this buffet - bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing and forgiveness.  it’s an all new menu, seeing as how i’ve never offered all of these items together.  but i’m starting to understand the philosophy of my owner, the one who bought me with a price.

so come one, come all.  you get a new and improved me.  i get a promise fulfilled:  that when i “put on charity”, God will help me hold it all together.

colossians 3:12-14

. . . . circumcised.

 

i want to be circumcised.  before your mind goes to places it shouldn’t.  let me explain.  colossians 2:10,11 says  ”and ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:  in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ“.

we tend to think that we must add to something to make it complete.  God says he will subtract to make us complete.  wow, what a concept.  i’m thinking there’s a great message in there somewhere.  anyway, circumcision that a doctor performs has a reason behind it and so it is with God.  think on that a little while.  as for me, sign me up.  i’m ready to be made complete.  take away the parts of me that harbour “unrighteousness”.  Father God, i place my future in your hands.

beyond the map

“Sometimes the limitations you are willing to accept, establish the boundaries of your existence.”    Wide Awake – Erwin Raphael Mcmanus

i’ve decided, i’m going beyond the map.

Lead on, O King eternal, the day of march has come; henceforth in fields of conquest thy tents shall be our home. Through days of preparation thy grace has made us strong; and now, O King eternal, we lift our battle song.

Lead on, O King eternal, we follow, not with fears, for gladness breaks like morning where’er thy face appears. Thy cross is lifted o’er us, we journey in its light; the crown awaits the conquest; lead on, O God of might.

here’s the scoop

for everyone that’s been wondering what’s goin on with me, here’s the scoop. pain and swelling in fingers and toes, positive test on blood work for hla-b27. white blood cells get confused and attack all tissues not just bad ones. off and on pain last 2 months. saturday night excruciating pain. couldn’t stand anything to touch my toes or fingers. swollen and stiff. more pain than i’ve ever felt. i’ve torn my rotator cuff, acl and mcl. had surgery on shoulder and knee and never felt anything like this.  i hate going to the doctor, much less the emergency room, but i couldn’t stand it any longer.

that’s the short version. here’s the cool part. amy and i prayed that God would touch me and He didn’t. we wondered why but knew He had a plan so we just accepted it and moved on. without going into any details, God used this situation to connect me with some people i otherwise wouldn’t have got to speak with.

so today i rejoice in my infirmities! 2 corinthians 12:9b “most gladly therefore will i rejoice in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”   as bad as saturday night was, i’d do it all again to see how God opens doors.  way to go God!

a new philosophy

It doesn’t matter how organized I am or how anointed I am, if I don’t love them, all they hear is noise. If I can’t love them, I can’t lead them. I’ve got to be patient and kind. I can’t get easily riled up and I can’t think bad about them. (because that thought allows the devil a foothold) I shouldn’t get excited when they mess up, but I should when they get it right. I must “believe the best” about ALL of them. Never stop loving them.  The material things I want them to do will pass away, but our relationship shouldn’t. I’ve got to stop acting like a spoiled brat (that wants everything my way) and act like the Godly man I’m becoming.

this is what God told me after reading 1 corinthians 13 this morning during my quiet time.  what’d He tell you?

just 3 words.

feeling a stirring.   something is coming.  trying to prepare.  searching the word.  listening for direction.  writing my thoughts.  praying with passion.  looking for more.

this is me.

what about you?

ain’t skeered

today’s blog is a re-post.  i originally wrote this blog on June 9th of 2008.  a little over a year ago.   -

 

i’m a champion, i’m a champion, i’m a champion.  if i look at things through earthly eyes, the last thing i am is a champion.  but that’s what holds me back from being what i was made to be.  earthly eyes.  if i can find that place where i can see myself through the eyes of God, then i can realize my calling to be a champion.  the first thing i must deal with is fear.  i’m afraid of failure.  i used to be a professional failure.  (i had to change that sentence to the past tense from the present tense).  for so long i’ve been used to giving up before i make it to my goal that it’s become a habit.  i’ve listened to the enemy lie to me and tell me it can’t be done and that if i try and fail that everyone will know how weak i really am.  so i’ve been afraid.  after all, people look to me for guidance, i can’t let them down.  so i don’t try.  fear.  the first battle i’ve got to win is with fear.  before i can take on the champ, i’ve got to fight my way up the ranks.  so here goes…

2 tim.1:7 for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  fear isn’t from God, therefore, i’ve got to get rid of it.  i’m not the first one to face a giant.  1 sam 17:32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.  37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.  And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.  45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.  46 This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

david had no fear because he knew it wasn’t his battle.  this isn’t my battle it’s God’s.  all i have to do to be the champion in the battle with fear is face it head on and do what i know to do.  david knew how to work a sling not swords and armour.  he did what he knew to do and God used it to slay his giant.  i know what to do and i’m stepping into the ring to face this giant.  he won’t win and i’m going to feed HIS carcass to the fowl of the air.  it’s on now, cause i’m starting to believe.  DING DING!   - 

 

looking back over the past year, i see that i’ve knocked the giant down a few times but he keeps getting up because i haven’t cut off his head.  i’ve fought valiantly just not thoroughly.  i’ve found new freedom this year by facing my fear. but the time has come to finish the fight.  he’s hit me back and now it’s put up or shut up.  bad news for him, this is the last time he’ll get up.  it really is on now.

so what about you?  what giant are you facing?

that thing you do. . . .

i have this title on my home page which asks “who am i”.  on my description i have a line that says, “beyond these three i am still a man searching for who i am”.  i’ve been having this slow revelation, if it’s even possible to have a revelation slowly, about who i am and what my purpose is.  now i have heard all my life what my purpose is, in fact i wrote a reflection in the M.I.P. (ministerial internship program) titled My Porpoise.  (yeah it says porpoise).  but just this week it seems to be sinking in. 

my job, my old truck, my motorcycle, watching football, being married to the greatest wife on earth, raising 2 precious children, all these things are not my purpose. they are tools to help me succeed in fulfilling my purpose.   my purpose is to KNOW God and to help others KNOW God.

i work as an executive pastor.  i start the connection process for all attendees to our church. that is being purposeful on my job.  i drive an old truck.  because of this,  i’ve needed parts or have given parts away.  an open door to connect with people outside of my usual circle.  i like to go to small car shows from time to time.  the truck is not show quality but these times are opportunities to meet people and develop a relationship with them that may lead them to Christ.  the motorcycle has been a way to connect on an intimate level with a few friends and fellow servants of the Lord.  we encourage one another and take time to relax and re-focus on our purpose.  football, ok, this still needs work.  but my love of football has helped me to connect with people on a different level than  i could have connected with them otherwise.  it’s also helped build friendships, that i prize, with some of the elders i work with.  my wife, wow! she is my rock. she helps me make right decisions and keeps me moving down the right path, even when i don’t want to.  i couldn’t fulfill my purpose without her.  my kids, are my personal disciples.  they are there to train and to train me. 

the point is this, whether or not i get to see the ballgame,  whether or not i have the prettiest truck, whether or not i embarrass  my friends with how poorly i ride a motorcycle, is not important.  whether or not i use that time to bring myself and those around me closer to God is important.  it’s not the things we do but the things we do with the things we do that counts.  that about sums it up.  you think?

kind of cool . . . .

so we’ve been fasting as a church. we’re in our 14th day and are fasting tv, internet browsing, and all drinks but water. it been great so far. feeling closer to God already. i’m seeing the scriptures in a new light, i like that. but i do have a confession to make. i messed up yesterday. i drank a cup of hot chocolate. i didn’t do it intentionally. (yeah right, sure you didn’t) no really i didn’t even realize it til this morning. our heat isn’t keeping up with the cold outside so we slept in front of the fireplace til the smoke made me let it go out at about 1:30 am. we woke up to 53 degrees in the house. so anyway, amy gets up and starts doing house stuff and says she’s thinking of drinking hot water and i told her i had hot chocolate yesterday. it was at that point i realized my mistake. i asked forgiveness right away in front of my kids so they could see that even daddies make mistakes and need grace. so that’s where we are right now. oh, i did call my buddy mac and someone is on the way to check my heat. it was kind of cool (no pun intended) camping out in the living room.