It is quite amazing that it is not complex
It's God's unusual way to jest
To take all the man sees as wise
and all their attempts to try
and say that is for not
It is for the poor, the simple and the sinner
Not for the well educated but the beginner
not for the perfect or those with good health
but the sick and the lame and those who lack wealth
It is a quit relieving thing to say
That Jesus is the only way
Then I don't have to spend so much time looking
and know that everything is going to be OK.
Thank you Jesus, I love you.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
My problems?
It hit me like a ton of bricks!
God's plan and all encompassing purpose is so much greater then the petty troubles I face in my day to day living. I was thinking before I started to read about something that bothered me and then I started to read this......
For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God's plan of salvation; He was the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
In the light of all this. To think of things like salvation, holiness, purity, being acceptable, God's plan, life and what it took to purchase our salvation.
I can't help but think how miniscule (don't know if I spelt that right) my problems are. Why do I spend so much time thinking about them? Why do I lift them to a place of importance in my life where they overshadow these great truths that are found in this one verse.
I know that I live in this world as a stranger and that I will run into problems. I also know that these problems can not be ignored. They are true and legitimate problems that I must face on this earth.
However, they are not to be looked at as something more then what they really are. Otherwise, I shall be stripped of all my joy and become like one who has no hope.
God's plan and all encompassing purpose is so much greater then the petty troubles I face in my day to day living. I was thinking before I started to read about something that bothered me and then I started to read this......
For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God's plan of salvation; He was the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT
In the light of all this. To think of things like salvation, holiness, purity, being acceptable, God's plan, life and what it took to purchase our salvation.
I can't help but think how miniscule (don't know if I spelt that right) my problems are. Why do I spend so much time thinking about them? Why do I lift them to a place of importance in my life where they overshadow these great truths that are found in this one verse.
I know that I live in this world as a stranger and that I will run into problems. I also know that these problems can not be ignored. They are true and legitimate problems that I must face on this earth.
However, they are not to be looked at as something more then what they really are. Otherwise, I shall be stripped of all my joy and become like one who has no hope.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Staying out of other people's business
1st Corinthians 4:11
11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.
I have not heard alot of sermons on this one. Maybe there is a reason. In alot of places, churches or not, if you took away other people's business there wouldn't be alot to talk about. Some people might even be sitting there staring at each other trying to communicate telepathically because although they might not be talking about other people's business, they are definately thinking about it.
The question is why does it becomes so easy for us to talk about other people's problems and business. My wife and I thought about that this morning. We were put in a situation where we autimatically started to do it. Luckily we stopped and thought of the scripture above. Do you know what happened? It was like a weight was taken off of our shoulders. It was mind blowing to realise that we didn't need to talk about this because we could do nothing about it and it was none of our business.
I believe that we do this for many reasons. We might do it to feel better about ourselves or to prove that we are right. We might do it because we don't want to face the decisions that we have to make in our own lives.
Now that I am thinking about it. I wonder how many people go through their whole lives thinking about what others are doing and being involved in other people's business that they really don't live themselves. It is like there own real life version of Days of our Lives and they are the producer. In the end, they will find, that they were producing strife instead of peace. That is the kind of life that I don't want to live.
11 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. 12 Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.
I have not heard alot of sermons on this one. Maybe there is a reason. In alot of places, churches or not, if you took away other people's business there wouldn't be alot to talk about. Some people might even be sitting there staring at each other trying to communicate telepathically because although they might not be talking about other people's business, they are definately thinking about it.
The question is why does it becomes so easy for us to talk about other people's problems and business. My wife and I thought about that this morning. We were put in a situation where we autimatically started to do it. Luckily we stopped and thought of the scripture above. Do you know what happened? It was like a weight was taken off of our shoulders. It was mind blowing to realise that we didn't need to talk about this because we could do nothing about it and it was none of our business.
I believe that we do this for many reasons. We might do it to feel better about ourselves or to prove that we are right. We might do it because we don't want to face the decisions that we have to make in our own lives.
Now that I am thinking about it. I wonder how many people go through their whole lives thinking about what others are doing and being involved in other people's business that they really don't live themselves. It is like there own real life version of Days of our Lives and they are the producer. In the end, they will find, that they were producing strife instead of peace. That is the kind of life that I don't want to live.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The god of money
Like one who is dying of thirst in the desert starts to hilucinate and see an imaginary oasis, we in the church have become so thirsty and famished for the real thing that we have come to imagine and create an oasis in our mind that is nothing but an hilucination of the real thing. It is a sad thing to think that we believe our Sundays, Sanctuaries, and suburbs are the pinnacle of christendom.
To say that material blessings and financial security had anything to do with Christ's gospel, is to be on the threshhold of purchasing one's salvation!
The little bit of leaven will soon leaven the whole lump!
Our desire should be not to have any connection to the pursuit of love or money. Even Jesus, who is part of the God Head, and is the ruler and creator of all things said "Render unto Ceaser what is Ceaser's"
Money has from generation to generation told us that if we have it in abundance we would be happy. However, the scriptures tell us that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Money, like any other god, demands sacrifice. Family, friends, time, devotion, peace, hurt, pain, selfishness and love.
The truth of the matter is that if you took God out of the American church, it would still survive using guilt, manipulation and the law but the question is if it still could survive if you took out money and if it did, shouldn't that be what we pursue!
To say that material blessings and financial security had anything to do with Christ's gospel, is to be on the threshhold of purchasing one's salvation!
The little bit of leaven will soon leaven the whole lump!
Our desire should be not to have any connection to the pursuit of love or money. Even Jesus, who is part of the God Head, and is the ruler and creator of all things said "Render unto Ceaser what is Ceaser's"
Money has from generation to generation told us that if we have it in abundance we would be happy. However, the scriptures tell us that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Money, like any other god, demands sacrifice. Family, friends, time, devotion, peace, hurt, pain, selfishness and love.
The truth of the matter is that if you took God out of the American church, it would still survive using guilt, manipulation and the law but the question is if it still could survive if you took out money and if it did, shouldn't that be what we pursue!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Freedom
Romans 14
Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Freedom is a wonderful thing! No one wants to be caged. No one wants to be told where to go or what to say. So when we have freedom, we really enjoy it. The funny thing about freedom, I have found out, is that once we have it, we would like to force others to have it as well.
One thing that has been very important to my wife and I has been the freedom that we are experiencing when it comes to our relationship with Christ. We wonder why we didn't experience this earlier and cringe whenever we think of the bondage we put ourselves under when it comes to the law (bewitched, is what Galations calls it).
Here is where it becomes funny. We feel so good about ourselves and this new freedom that we become frustrated with people who don't want it and even find ourselves wanting to force them to see it our way. Silly isn't!
What a releasing thought to know that Christ has given them the freedom to have a relationship with Him whichever way they would like. The important thing, in the end, is that they have a relationship.
In fact, it is a freeing thought in itself, to know that you are not responsible for judging other people's relationship with Him. After all, we are not their master and they are not ours. Freeing isn't!
Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
Freedom is a wonderful thing! No one wants to be caged. No one wants to be told where to go or what to say. So when we have freedom, we really enjoy it. The funny thing about freedom, I have found out, is that once we have it, we would like to force others to have it as well.
One thing that has been very important to my wife and I has been the freedom that we are experiencing when it comes to our relationship with Christ. We wonder why we didn't experience this earlier and cringe whenever we think of the bondage we put ourselves under when it comes to the law (bewitched, is what Galations calls it).
Here is where it becomes funny. We feel so good about ourselves and this new freedom that we become frustrated with people who don't want it and even find ourselves wanting to force them to see it our way. Silly isn't!
What a releasing thought to know that Christ has given them the freedom to have a relationship with Him whichever way they would like. The important thing, in the end, is that they have a relationship.
In fact, it is a freeing thought in itself, to know that you are not responsible for judging other people's relationship with Him. After all, we are not their master and they are not ours. Freeing isn't!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Being Strong
My wife and I were listening to Focus on the Family today and we heard some wonderful things followed by something disturbing. There have been so many times that we have been blessed by the church of God through Focus. Listening to stories of suffering bloom into ministeries of understanding and healing. We love to hear these stories and understand fully why Focus puts them on. Throughout history, God's people have been comforting those with the comfort they received themselves. People can talk about these things because they see how God's hand was in them, to turn that which was intended for bad, into good.
The disturbing thing that we heard, after some wonderful stories, was a man that headed up their phone lines for those who were needing help. He had mentioned that many of them were pastors that were calling in. Many of them with porn problems. Normally you might think that this is what we thought was disturbing. Wouldn't you? I mean, these are the people who are standing before us every Sunday, telling us how to live our lives and then we find out that some of them are doing this. However this is not what disturbed my wife and I.
Think about it for a second (or more). We would not blink an eye if we were asked the question if these men were still human. We would testify that no one is perfect and all have fallen short of the glory of God. Why then do we expect more from a pastor then a congregation member? Maybe because we have put them on pedestals that no man is suppose to be on?
What disturbed my wife and I was the statement that the man made from Focus. He said that this is troubling because we all know that strong Pastoral families produce strong churches. In context, he was saying that perfect pastoral families will produce perfect churches! To say that being a strong family is to be a family that doesn't fall would be an unattainable goal for any family to meet.
It seems to me that this man forgot where our strength comes from. Our strength is not in our ability to be perfect but the direct opposite. It comes from our weaknesses!! Until we understand this, we will continue to go around and around, not getting anywhere when we are already there.
The disturbing thing that we heard, after some wonderful stories, was a man that headed up their phone lines for those who were needing help. He had mentioned that many of them were pastors that were calling in. Many of them with porn problems. Normally you might think that this is what we thought was disturbing. Wouldn't you? I mean, these are the people who are standing before us every Sunday, telling us how to live our lives and then we find out that some of them are doing this. However this is not what disturbed my wife and I.
Think about it for a second (or more). We would not blink an eye if we were asked the question if these men were still human. We would testify that no one is perfect and all have fallen short of the glory of God. Why then do we expect more from a pastor then a congregation member? Maybe because we have put them on pedestals that no man is suppose to be on?
What disturbed my wife and I was the statement that the man made from Focus. He said that this is troubling because we all know that strong Pastoral families produce strong churches. In context, he was saying that perfect pastoral families will produce perfect churches! To say that being a strong family is to be a family that doesn't fall would be an unattainable goal for any family to meet.
It seems to me that this man forgot where our strength comes from. Our strength is not in our ability to be perfect but the direct opposite. It comes from our weaknesses!! Until we understand this, we will continue to go around and around, not getting anywhere when we are already there.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Addition to yesterday
I wanted to take a moment to describe a situation about change that happened to me yesterday. At work I have made a change from one position, that I held for over 7 years, to another. It was a move in the right direction, a postitive move for the company that I work for. However, after running into one of my old customers, I realized that not everyone would see it as positive. No matter how many times I gave an example of how this change was good for me, this customer, continued to tell how bad it was for him. I forced him into change that he didn't like. I am seeing that not only is it fear that causes others to dislike your change, and in turn theirs, but also selfishness. I can't imagine how many times I have disliked what someone was changing because it caused more work or stress for me. I guess it is human nature for us to think of ourselves first. On the other hand, it is God nature to think of others first. How is this change good for them? Are they going to be less stressed and feel better about themselves? Why don't I ask questions like these when I am mad at somoene because their changing something.
I remember when we were closing our coffee shop. One of our customers said they were really sad that we were closing because now they would have to find somewhere else to get their coffee. Not sorry that we had lost everything we had worked for or that our dream did not come true, just sorry because they would have to change. Enough about others, what about myself.
I remember being upset at my parents for divorcing because of how it effected me. I was upset with my mom because we moved from our old town. Don't mention the fact that both of my parents are now happily married and that my mom moved from a town where there was no possibilities for work to one that was a spring board for her to get where she is today.
I hope I can become more and more comfortable with not only my change but the change of others and learn to put others before myself.
I remember when we were closing our coffee shop. One of our customers said they were really sad that we were closing because now they would have to find somewhere else to get their coffee. Not sorry that we had lost everything we had worked for or that our dream did not come true, just sorry because they would have to change. Enough about others, what about myself.
I remember being upset at my parents for divorcing because of how it effected me. I was upset with my mom because we moved from our old town. Don't mention the fact that both of my parents are now happily married and that my mom moved from a town where there was no possibilities for work to one that was a spring board for her to get where she is today.
I hope I can become more and more comfortable with not only my change but the change of others and learn to put others before myself.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Redirected, Redefined, Released
Lately, I have been redirected. The direction I was heading has been changed by multiple areas in my life. I have walked away from a staff position in a church, started a business and closed the same business. I started to feel old and stuffy. I looked around me and found myself trapped. I felt like a chained animal. For some reason, that I can only explain as God, I started to come across things that were redefining what I believed and in turn, redirecting my course. I looked at things like church, which used to be so absolute, and saw that it could be different. Not that the way it was being done was wrong but that it wasn't wrong being done differently. Whatever it may matter to anyone else, this new way of looking at my relationship with Jesus released me. It released me into a new life. I have many times mentioned to my wife that I feel like a eagle that has spread it wings. Its hard to explain. I am ok with the unknown. I am ok with experimenting and finding out how the Lord wants me to BE THE CHURCH!
Change is hard. It not only effects you but those around you. There are many people who would like to condemn you and tell you that you are wrong. They would like you to know that you are not doing it the right way. In truth, they are scared. They are scared because things are changing. You have put them in a situation where they have to change and it is much easier to change when you want to then when your forced to, which makes it much harder for those individuals effected by your change then you the changer.
To those I have forced to change. I just want you to know that I have never felt better and hope you could join me someday:)
Change is hard. It not only effects you but those around you. There are many people who would like to condemn you and tell you that you are wrong. They would like you to know that you are not doing it the right way. In truth, they are scared. They are scared because things are changing. You have put them in a situation where they have to change and it is much easier to change when you want to then when your forced to, which makes it much harder for those individuals effected by your change then you the changer.
To those I have forced to change. I just want you to know that I have never felt better and hope you could join me someday:)
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