I've been staying busy working these days and this week has been a blur. Someone said that "Time flies when you're having fun." I've been having fun, but I've also been very busy. I've Monday through Thursday I worked at a the New Willow Elementary school and today I worked at a new housing development at UCSD. I will be working with a crew on Saturday as well, trying to catch up with the plumbers and pipe fitters. We are insulating the heating hot water supply and return, condensate, and domestic hot water. Hopefully us insulators will have the job to ourselves.
Wednesday night during the communion service I was absolutely blessed by a vivid night of fellowship with my Savior and brothers and sisters in Christ. I was struck with the horror of the cross: not only is crucifixion brutal in itself, but to consider that the King of Kings hung upon a cross adorned with wounds for which I am personally responsible, crowned with thorns which exist because of the curse brought upon the world through sin. It was a shock to me, though I have attended many services in the past.
Imagine the shock of seeing smoke rising up from the side of the road far in the distance. As you draw closer, it seems that you recognize the car - it is your mother's car! Think of the agony of heart as horrible thoughts race through your head: is she ok? Has she been burned alive? What on earth happened? Is that really her car? How surreal would it be to see your mother's lifeless body being loaded onto a stretcher, covered with a sheet, and rolled by the paramedics into the ambulance. For those of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one, this scenario may be too close for comfort. In the case of Christ, however, you can never touch too deep a nerve. Many people walked by the crucifixion scene and were shocked to see who was on the cross. Among the theives hung Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, who lay down His life for the sins of the world. If you loved Him, you would cover your mouth in horror to see His physical condition.
Now imagine you had known about a problem with your mother's car and neglected to do anything about it. You knew that there was a minor risk driving the car without the repair being made - it was only a tiny gas leak - but fixing mom's car was very low on your priority list. As a direct repercussion of your actions, she is gone forever from the earth. How would you feel? What a weight of guilt! What inconsolable sorrow would you carry! You would invite the blame upon yourself because the tragic inferno could have been averted by replacing a $5 hose. When you consider Christ dying on the cross, do you see Him with the same personal responsibility? He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. He suffered for me and you. Yet we easily trample His blood under our feet through our coarse words, selfish attitudes, and ungodly conduct. We must take ownership of our sin so we might receive Christ's forgiveness.
We cannot change the past. A devotional I'm reading written by a farmer talks about the problem with looking back while plowing. If you want to plow a straight furrow, you must keep your eyes facing ahead, fixed on a stationary object. If you turn around to see how the furrow looks you will begin to drift off course and each successive furrow will become more and more crooked. If we're always looking back to how we lost our temper yesterday or cursed when we broke something, or how when you were in college you slept around, we will never progress. As a born again child of God you are free from bondage to the guilt of your past. When we keep our crucified and risen LORD as our focal point, we will walk that straight, narrow path of righteousness.
Our guilt has been turned into thanksgiving, our sorrow into joy through the sacrifice of Jesus. When we see Christ on the cross we should say through tears, "It is my fault! It is my fault!" It is through His blood and repentance that we are made faultless. Wonder of wonders! We must confess our wrongs before we can be made right. There is no salvation in any other but in Jesus Christ. The one who will present me faultless can keep me from future stumbles. Jude 1:24-25 says, "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, [25] to God our Savior, who alone is wise be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."
08 January 2010
05 January 2010
Auditory Theives
A lot has changed since the time of Christ. One of the primary differences from 2,000 years ago is the abundance of silence. Today we are bombarded with the constant sound of cars, planes, lawnmowers, machinery, TV, music, iPods, appliances, etc. In centuries past the most common sounds in a village would be animals, people talking, and maybe the wind in the trees - if you were around trees, that is. Though the mind can be difficult to "quiet," quiet used to be much more plentiful. We have been trained to be uncomfortable and awkward with quiet. If we are driving and there is a pause in the conversation for longer than 20 seconds, we'll turn on the radio. When a "moment of silence" is requested at a major sporting event, there are always a bunch of knuckleheads who believe that is the moment to yell something idiotic. Silence? We just don't do silence these days.
Remember when Elijah fled from Jezebel fearing for his life? He traveled to mount Horeb and God met him there. 1 Kings 19:11-12 says, "Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; [12] and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." God was not in the great wind, the earthquake, or the fire: He was in the still small voice. Jesus says His sheep hear His voice. We might be able to hear His voice, but we make it difficult on ourselves with all the noise we welcome into our lives.
If I was the devil and knew that God spoke in a quiet whisper, I wouldn't devise anything to operate quietly. Now can God speak to your heart though you work in a loud environment, say in a factory, cogen, or processing plant? Of course He can. His still small voice is audible because it is perceived not by the ears, but by our hearts. But when our ears are occupied with listening and the mind becomes involved, our hearts can be dull to perceive. When I was a kid, people were going from vinyl to 8-track tapes. Then it was cassettes and now CD's. Silent films became talking pictures, and now we have big-screen T.V.s with surround sound. It used to be you had to carry a boom box with 8 "D" batteries around to bring your tunes with you: then it was a Walkman, mp3 player, and now any number of I pods. We have laptops, portable DVD players, projectors to connect to your mobile phone, and everything makes noise. Like the Grinch, the thing I hate the most is the noise, Noise, NOISE!
I'm not an hater of these modern innovations. But I believe that they can thieve our time and our hearts away from God and time spent quietly with Him. Instead of "instinctively" turning on the radio or putting in your ear buds (even if it is to listen to a sermon!), try not doing it. And while you are not creating extra noise, focus your heart and mind upon your Savior. When is the last time you actually heard His still small voice? If you haven't been listening for it, I bet it's been awhile. This should not make you feel guilty. No, it should fill your heart with a joyful expectancy: what is God going to say to you today? Our eyes are never satisfied with seeing, nor our ears with hearing. But when God speaks, it brings a satisfaction to the soul which transcends the feeding of our physical appetites. It touches our purpose. We were created by God to have a relationship with Him.
As I sit here hearing the fan in my computer case whirring along, I recognize how rare silence is. Be aware of things which rob you of quiet time with the LORD. Seek silent time with God, just you and Him. He's speaking. The question is: am I listening for Him?
Remember when Elijah fled from Jezebel fearing for his life? He traveled to mount Horeb and God met him there. 1 Kings 19:11-12 says, "Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; [12] and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." God was not in the great wind, the earthquake, or the fire: He was in the still small voice. Jesus says His sheep hear His voice. We might be able to hear His voice, but we make it difficult on ourselves with all the noise we welcome into our lives.
If I was the devil and knew that God spoke in a quiet whisper, I wouldn't devise anything to operate quietly. Now can God speak to your heart though you work in a loud environment, say in a factory, cogen, or processing plant? Of course He can. His still small voice is audible because it is perceived not by the ears, but by our hearts. But when our ears are occupied with listening and the mind becomes involved, our hearts can be dull to perceive. When I was a kid, people were going from vinyl to 8-track tapes. Then it was cassettes and now CD's. Silent films became talking pictures, and now we have big-screen T.V.s with surround sound. It used to be you had to carry a boom box with 8 "D" batteries around to bring your tunes with you: then it was a Walkman, mp3 player, and now any number of I pods. We have laptops, portable DVD players, projectors to connect to your mobile phone, and everything makes noise. Like the Grinch, the thing I hate the most is the noise, Noise, NOISE!
I'm not an hater of these modern innovations. But I believe that they can thieve our time and our hearts away from God and time spent quietly with Him. Instead of "instinctively" turning on the radio or putting in your ear buds (even if it is to listen to a sermon!), try not doing it. And while you are not creating extra noise, focus your heart and mind upon your Savior. When is the last time you actually heard His still small voice? If you haven't been listening for it, I bet it's been awhile. This should not make you feel guilty. No, it should fill your heart with a joyful expectancy: what is God going to say to you today? Our eyes are never satisfied with seeing, nor our ears with hearing. But when God speaks, it brings a satisfaction to the soul which transcends the feeding of our physical appetites. It touches our purpose. We were created by God to have a relationship with Him.
As I sit here hearing the fan in my computer case whirring along, I recognize how rare silence is. Be aware of things which rob you of quiet time with the LORD. Seek silent time with God, just you and Him. He's speaking. The question is: am I listening for Him?
04 January 2010
Jesus Revolution
"Status quo" is defined as "the existing state of affairs at a particular time." There is no one more revolutionary than Jesus Christ. Revolutionaries are only seen as rebels by those who benefit from the status quo. God had given the Jews His law so man might know the character, nature, and righteous statutes of his Creator. But man became enamored with the law itself and the feeble attempt to keep it. The focus became the effort of man, not the glory of God. Suddenly there were religious experts who were trained to interpret this law and feverishly police and punish anyone who transgressed. Profiteers saw and seized opportunities for monetary benefits for themselves and the organization, not to mention status and position among leaders of the community.
Jesus came on the scene and said, "You have heard it said...but I say unto you..." Instead of quoting ancient rabbis or deferring to the status quo position, Jesus turned everything upside down. Did God make a mistake with the writing of the original law and Jesus had to come to set everything right? NO! The law was and is perfect. But the law did not have the power to save. A vain attempt at keeping the law delivered to Moses would not atone for sins committed. Jesus revealed the law was a schoolmaster to lead us to Himself. The law provided ample proof that no man could ever keep God's standards (even though Jesus did, being God made flesh). It proved our sinfulness. The law stops every mouth. There is none who is good but God. The law points us to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection. It is by placing our faith in Jesus that we can be cleansed of our sin and made righteous, justified by His blood. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We can have peace and reconciliation with God not through self-effort, but by grace through faith in Jesus.
I believe that God desires a revolution in His church today. I'm not talking about the overthrow of "the system" or a hostile takeover. It takes more than being fed-up with the status quo to start a revolution. Spiritual revolution occurs not through the addition of something new, but returning to the fundamentals. One of the many definitions of "revolution" is "a procedure or course, as if in a circuit, back to a starting point." I believe we make a big mistake to say the starting point was the church in Acts. The infant church in Acts didn't have a church to attempt to model itself after and we would be silly to try to do that ourselves. Our best would only be an attempt at emulation. The starting point is the person of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body of Christ which is His church. We are taught and led by the Holy Spirit, indwelt and baptized with Him. If we try to simply do what has been done we find ourselves with the Pharisees, trying to follow an external set of standards.
The question is, are you willing to allow God to change the way you think? Are you satisfied with your personal status quo Christianity? I have found I must admit I am dissatisfied before I am willing to change. Case in point, since returning to the trade changes to my personal time with God have been forced upon me. I am usually on the job site by around 6am. I set my alarm for 4:50am for a little while. I came to the realization I was completely dissatisfied by the quality or quantity of prayer, Bible reading, and reflection. So I set my alarm for 4am and have been pleased with the change. When you start feeling comfortable, status quo for you is now defined. Personally, I am sick of the status quo. The status quo doesn't amount to what it should. When I am comfortable, laziness and lameness are not far away. I want to go into undefined territory with my Savior, going to a level I never have before. Believe me, setting your alarm clock for 4am is not a magic formula for drawing close to God. We all have our own spiritual race to run and we will always be our primary hindrance.
Today at work I mused over this concept of the Jesus Revolution. Little fear of God and great fear of man will always prevent spiritual revolution. Spiritual revolution doesn't put you in charge, but God. But there have been many men and women compelled by the Holy Spirit who were not afraid to break out of the status quo. Luther and Calvin are two great examples of men who were in high regard in the Catholic church but saw descrepancies between status quo church teachings and the scriptures. They chose to stick to the scriptures and were convinced in their own minds through the Holy Spirit. Are you willing to throw aside the dogma of your religious affiliation, not to become your own man, but to be solely God's man? You don't need to leave your church or start a new denomination to be a part of the Jesus Revolution. That would line up more with the Pharisee point of view. It's not a matter of geography, style, or flavor. It's the substance of your heart that God looks at. You can worship in a prison, park, jobsite, or an office just the same. Are you willing to follow Jesus no matter the cost? Start a Jesus Revolution right where you are right now. I'm thinking that's just what we need.
Jesus came on the scene and said, "You have heard it said...but I say unto you..." Instead of quoting ancient rabbis or deferring to the status quo position, Jesus turned everything upside down. Did God make a mistake with the writing of the original law and Jesus had to come to set everything right? NO! The law was and is perfect. But the law did not have the power to save. A vain attempt at keeping the law delivered to Moses would not atone for sins committed. Jesus revealed the law was a schoolmaster to lead us to Himself. The law provided ample proof that no man could ever keep God's standards (even though Jesus did, being God made flesh). It proved our sinfulness. The law stops every mouth. There is none who is good but God. The law points us to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection. It is by placing our faith in Jesus that we can be cleansed of our sin and made righteous, justified by His blood. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We can have peace and reconciliation with God not through self-effort, but by grace through faith in Jesus.
I believe that God desires a revolution in His church today. I'm not talking about the overthrow of "the system" or a hostile takeover. It takes more than being fed-up with the status quo to start a revolution. Spiritual revolution occurs not through the addition of something new, but returning to the fundamentals. One of the many definitions of "revolution" is "a procedure or course, as if in a circuit, back to a starting point." I believe we make a big mistake to say the starting point was the church in Acts. The infant church in Acts didn't have a church to attempt to model itself after and we would be silly to try to do that ourselves. Our best would only be an attempt at emulation. The starting point is the person of Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body of Christ which is His church. We are taught and led by the Holy Spirit, indwelt and baptized with Him. If we try to simply do what has been done we find ourselves with the Pharisees, trying to follow an external set of standards.
The question is, are you willing to allow God to change the way you think? Are you satisfied with your personal status quo Christianity? I have found I must admit I am dissatisfied before I am willing to change. Case in point, since returning to the trade changes to my personal time with God have been forced upon me. I am usually on the job site by around 6am. I set my alarm for 4:50am for a little while. I came to the realization I was completely dissatisfied by the quality or quantity of prayer, Bible reading, and reflection. So I set my alarm for 4am and have been pleased with the change. When you start feeling comfortable, status quo for you is now defined. Personally, I am sick of the status quo. The status quo doesn't amount to what it should. When I am comfortable, laziness and lameness are not far away. I want to go into undefined territory with my Savior, going to a level I never have before. Believe me, setting your alarm clock for 4am is not a magic formula for drawing close to God. We all have our own spiritual race to run and we will always be our primary hindrance.
Today at work I mused over this concept of the Jesus Revolution. Little fear of God and great fear of man will always prevent spiritual revolution. Spiritual revolution doesn't put you in charge, but God. But there have been many men and women compelled by the Holy Spirit who were not afraid to break out of the status quo. Luther and Calvin are two great examples of men who were in high regard in the Catholic church but saw descrepancies between status quo church teachings and the scriptures. They chose to stick to the scriptures and were convinced in their own minds through the Holy Spirit. Are you willing to throw aside the dogma of your religious affiliation, not to become your own man, but to be solely God's man? You don't need to leave your church or start a new denomination to be a part of the Jesus Revolution. That would line up more with the Pharisee point of view. It's not a matter of geography, style, or flavor. It's the substance of your heart that God looks at. You can worship in a prison, park, jobsite, or an office just the same. Are you willing to follow Jesus no matter the cost? Start a Jesus Revolution right where you are right now. I'm thinking that's just what we need.
02 January 2010
Looking to the Future...
As I look forward to 2010 I wonder if it will hold as many twists and turns that 2009 proved to have. The last year saw me resign from a full-time ministry position to spend 60 days in Australia separated from my family. But it wasn't terrible because God was with me the whole time. He provided a job in my trade a day after my return from Australia that is enabling me to work towards the ultimate goal of immigrating to Australia.
I just watched a bit of "Patton" this evening, the outspoken, gregarious, opinionated, and amazing four-star general who saw action in both World Wars. There was a line that caught my attention as he described what he felt was his destiny: "I've always felt that I was destined for some great achievement, what I don't know." I feel I've spent a lot of time "not knowing" this last year. I didn't know where I'd be going in Australia, where I'd be staying, who I'd be staying with, where I'd be preaching, how the bills would be paid, what I would be doing upon my return, and on and on! But I say with great pleasure and joy that God knew right well, and He provided abundantly beyond what I could have asked for or thought. Instead of focusing on what I don't know, it's good to look to the God who knows all and can do anything He wants concerning me, my family, and the gifts, ministry, and calling I am steward of.
I played some football today with some brothers from church and if you've ever seen me on the field, it's more likely that you've heard me as well! As a quarterback I'm like Patton back there, barking signals, issuing orders, motivating my teammates by strong words, minus any "colorful" language. People either loved Patton or hated him, and I'm sure that I amuse some as much as irritate others. But you know, leading a ministry cannot be done by barking orders and storming through strongholds of the enemy with tanks and footsoldiers. It was God who said through the prophet, "...Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:6) God does not need generals who are in it for the glory. He desires leaders who will take the lowest place and put their back to the work. He wants men and women who are willing to gut through the wilderness, tribulation, and trials when prayers seem to be unheard and vision becomes dim. He wants people to trust Him though they can't see a foot in front of their face.
I have no clue what this year holds for me and my family concerning ministry here or in Australia. But I'm going to stick with what I know: I have been called as a preacher and apostle to go to Australia for the glory of God; I have been provided a job to work towards that end; and God is in heaven and I am here on earth. Time is short, and we must work while it is still day because the night is coming when no one can work. Visas, government, immigration, home selling and buying, none of these are obstacles for God: only opportunities for Him to prove Himself faithful again and again. Let God be true and every man a liar. None of this is about me. I'm not the center of anything - I exist for the glory and praise of God, to make His name famous throughout the earth. I want to be better at that.
I just watched a bit of "Patton" this evening, the outspoken, gregarious, opinionated, and amazing four-star general who saw action in both World Wars. There was a line that caught my attention as he described what he felt was his destiny: "I've always felt that I was destined for some great achievement, what I don't know." I feel I've spent a lot of time "not knowing" this last year. I didn't know where I'd be going in Australia, where I'd be staying, who I'd be staying with, where I'd be preaching, how the bills would be paid, what I would be doing upon my return, and on and on! But I say with great pleasure and joy that God knew right well, and He provided abundantly beyond what I could have asked for or thought. Instead of focusing on what I don't know, it's good to look to the God who knows all and can do anything He wants concerning me, my family, and the gifts, ministry, and calling I am steward of.
I played some football today with some brothers from church and if you've ever seen me on the field, it's more likely that you've heard me as well! As a quarterback I'm like Patton back there, barking signals, issuing orders, motivating my teammates by strong words, minus any "colorful" language. People either loved Patton or hated him, and I'm sure that I amuse some as much as irritate others. But you know, leading a ministry cannot be done by barking orders and storming through strongholds of the enemy with tanks and footsoldiers. It was God who said through the prophet, "...Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:6) God does not need generals who are in it for the glory. He desires leaders who will take the lowest place and put their back to the work. He wants men and women who are willing to gut through the wilderness, tribulation, and trials when prayers seem to be unheard and vision becomes dim. He wants people to trust Him though they can't see a foot in front of their face.
I have no clue what this year holds for me and my family concerning ministry here or in Australia. But I'm going to stick with what I know: I have been called as a preacher and apostle to go to Australia for the glory of God; I have been provided a job to work towards that end; and God is in heaven and I am here on earth. Time is short, and we must work while it is still day because the night is coming when no one can work. Visas, government, immigration, home selling and buying, none of these are obstacles for God: only opportunities for Him to prove Himself faithful again and again. Let God be true and every man a liar. None of this is about me. I'm not the center of anything - I exist for the glory and praise of God, to make His name famous throughout the earth. I want to be better at that.
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