For the past year or so, I have been meticulously planning for the US National Conference for the United Brethren In Christ denomination. Through that year or so, there were many meetings, many many emails and a lot of phone calls. Lot's of decisions had to be made, lot's of hurdles had to be crossed, and lot's of time was spent in vision planning, thinking, and dealing with vendors. All in all there was a lot of communication going on. The conference went great, there was much to be satisfied with as far as how things came off. I made many friends, was reacquainted with old ones and met some really neat people, some of whom I would love to get to know better.
So here it is three weeks later, and I am going through communication withdraw. I find myself looking at my email several times a day and checking Facebook in hopes that someone has decided to send me a message. I find it all really disturbing that I crave people asking me to do something or asking me to figure something out. In the absence of that, sometimes I feel like I am just existing. It is all really sad when I think about it. And to top it all off, I am off of school this week. OH NO what shall I do with no homework............
Just so you don't read this and shake your head in pity or any other form of "He's a wacko" thought, I will tell you I am learning something from it. Even though I love communication with people, even though I rather enjoy my life being somewhat busy and on the go a lot, I am starting to realize something. So here it is, check it out; I am starting to communicate with God more.
I KNOW right? It's an amazing thing, when I shut up and stop talking and listening to other people, and I sit in the quiet and absence of the hustle and bustle of life, I feel like I can hear God's still small voice calling to me, telling me He want's to talk.
Now I don't always know what He is saying, but I feel Him speaking to me. I appreciate the time to listen to what He wants to tell me. I know that I can be busy in busy work, thinking that I am doing God a favor by working so hard trying to do stuff for Him; but if I am too busy to listen to Him, how will I know what He wants me to do?
My passion to serve Him can also be a distraction from my communication with Him. I need times like this, as hard as they are on me, to have the quiet to listen to His words.
The other plus to this down time, is that I am having a blast with my boys and beautiful wife. Being able to sit in the same room with them with nothing else calling my name is a nice break. My kids are getting so big so quickly and my wife gets more and more beautiful everyday. I really don't know how I got this lucky, and this blessed. I really don't.
So the moral of my little story, is in the absence of all the noise, listen for the most important sound, God's voice.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Observations of Paul’s Writings
Those who sought to destroy Paul’s ministry were self righteous and jealous. For no other reason can I discover why they would want to discredit Paul and the Gospel, which he taught. Through their own boasting and jabs at Paul, they began to pull some of the Corinthians away from the message they first accepted and taught. They also tried to discredit the love and concern Paul and his ministry partners had for the church of Corinth by trying to make Paul out to be a two faced individual. In 2 Corinthians 10:10 we read, “10For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing." (NIV) Paul’s response to this is basically saying, what you read is what you get. Paul responds this way; “11Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.” (NIV) This is a great response. He doesn’t get defensive; he just says what the truth is albeit in a confident manner.
Paul makes a comment in chapter 10:12-18 where he implies that those who are trying to pull the Corinthians away from the message of Christ, boast in and measure themselves by themselves. Paul simply points out how absurd this is. Measuring yourself by yourself is foolish and by pointing this out, Paul discredits this attempt of sabotage on his character and ministry. He finishes this defense off by saying something I believe to be the absolute truth. 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 “17 But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”(NIV). Brian Ritchie (personal communication, June 25, 2008), a friend of mine, once said, “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” I don’t think he realized how true this statement is. I believe Paul is saying in effect the same thing. If God chooses to use us, then He will do so, not vice a versa.
Finally Paul speaks to the issue of boasting and how he boasts in his weaknesses. One might ask why he would do that. I believe it is to draw attention to God, to keep Paul from getting a big head and becoming puffed up about himself. Those who boast on themselves assume the power and praise for what is happening. Paul, by boasting in Christ and in his own weakness, chooses to place the glory on Christ and not himself. 2 Corinthians 11:23-30 says: “23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (NIV)
I think that when it comes to the 21st century minister and church, we can learn much from Paul. If we were to maintain a high level of humbleness in our ministries, we might do much to protect ourselves from the lure of fame, greed, power, and other things that can draw us away from Christ. Anytime we allow these types of things to creep in and become a part of us, we remove Christ from the glory seat. It is tempting for some to allow glory and praise be placed on them for what they do in their ministries, but if we remain humble and obedient to Christ, He will help us stay in a place that will be safe form outside perversion.
There are many people in our churches today that are in ministry for the wrong reasons. Among the most abused positions would be that of music and arts. In such a position it is common to be praised for doing such a good job or for being so creative. If we allow our head to get big because of it, we can become a problem for the church and for the gospel of Christ. We must always stay on guard and protect ourselves from such actions.
Paul demonstrated his love for the Corinthians by being truthful in love toward them. Gently guiding them back to the message and truth they first accepted and keeping them accountable to it. Churches today would be in a much better state of health if we had a Paul around to constantly remind of us of the goal.
Paul makes a comment in chapter 10:12-18 where he implies that those who are trying to pull the Corinthians away from the message of Christ, boast in and measure themselves by themselves. Paul simply points out how absurd this is. Measuring yourself by yourself is foolish and by pointing this out, Paul discredits this attempt of sabotage on his character and ministry. He finishes this defense off by saying something I believe to be the absolute truth. 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 “17 But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”(NIV). Brian Ritchie (personal communication, June 25, 2008), a friend of mine, once said, “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.” I don’t think he realized how true this statement is. I believe Paul is saying in effect the same thing. If God chooses to use us, then He will do so, not vice a versa.
Finally Paul speaks to the issue of boasting and how he boasts in his weaknesses. One might ask why he would do that. I believe it is to draw attention to God, to keep Paul from getting a big head and becoming puffed up about himself. Those who boast on themselves assume the power and praise for what is happening. Paul, by boasting in Christ and in his own weakness, chooses to place the glory on Christ and not himself. 2 Corinthians 11:23-30 says: “23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (NIV)
I think that when it comes to the 21st century minister and church, we can learn much from Paul. If we were to maintain a high level of humbleness in our ministries, we might do much to protect ourselves from the lure of fame, greed, power, and other things that can draw us away from Christ. Anytime we allow these types of things to creep in and become a part of us, we remove Christ from the glory seat. It is tempting for some to allow glory and praise be placed on them for what they do in their ministries, but if we remain humble and obedient to Christ, He will help us stay in a place that will be safe form outside perversion.
There are many people in our churches today that are in ministry for the wrong reasons. Among the most abused positions would be that of music and arts. In such a position it is common to be praised for doing such a good job or for being so creative. If we allow our head to get big because of it, we can become a problem for the church and for the gospel of Christ. We must always stay on guard and protect ourselves from such actions.
Paul demonstrated his love for the Corinthians by being truthful in love toward them. Gently guiding them back to the message and truth they first accepted and keeping them accountable to it. Churches today would be in a much better state of health if we had a Paul around to constantly remind of us of the goal.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wondering
Ever wonder what God might have up His sleeve for you? Sometimes things happen that cause me to think about what God could do with my life if I totally surrendered to Him. Don't get me wrong, I believe that if God asked me to do something, I would without to much reservation, but I still wonder, what types of things He could accomplish through a humble servant.
It doesn't take me long to compile a full scene in my head of service to my King. Sometimes the scene is painted with a different town, or city. Sometimes I see myself serving in full-time ministry in the local church doing what I think God created me for, Worship and the Arts. I serve now at Union Chapel as the worship and arts pastor but on a part time basis. It is difficult sometimes to accomplish everything that I think I can do only serving in a part time role. To be honest, I feel restricted with what I can get done, simply because time doesn't allow for anything more. Who knows though, if I worked full-time there, I would most likely still deal with time issues.
You see for me it is very easy to get caught up in the fact that I don't have enough time to do what I would like to do for the church, and in the mean time I overlook the daily opportunities that God provides for me. As you may already know, my "full-time" job is in the welding field. I am a welder by trade and therefore I work in the field where the harvest is. But in my own selfish desires to work in the church full-time, I tend to over look the ministry opportunities that are right in front of my face.
Do I believe God placed me in the welding field for a reason? Yes I do. Do I get frustrated when my preferred career goal always seems fleeting? Yes I do, but this is something else I believe. God is God and He knows what is best for me. He knows where He can use me the most, and therefore I believe He has placed me right where I am because He see's me being useful there.
Now it is my job to let go of what I think I should be doing, and listen to what God is asking me to do right where I am at. Maybe someday God will bless me with the opportunity to work for the church full-time and use the talents and gifts I have to offer, but for now, in this season of life, I must be thankful for the work He has given me to do now.
So my question to you is this, Where has God placed you? And are you looking for those opportunities or are you wishing you were somewhere else? Be careful what you wish for, because without God leading you there, you might regret it.
Philippians 1:5-6 (NIV)
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
It doesn't take me long to compile a full scene in my head of service to my King. Sometimes the scene is painted with a different town, or city. Sometimes I see myself serving in full-time ministry in the local church doing what I think God created me for, Worship and the Arts. I serve now at Union Chapel as the worship and arts pastor but on a part time basis. It is difficult sometimes to accomplish everything that I think I can do only serving in a part time role. To be honest, I feel restricted with what I can get done, simply because time doesn't allow for anything more. Who knows though, if I worked full-time there, I would most likely still deal with time issues.
You see for me it is very easy to get caught up in the fact that I don't have enough time to do what I would like to do for the church, and in the mean time I overlook the daily opportunities that God provides for me. As you may already know, my "full-time" job is in the welding field. I am a welder by trade and therefore I work in the field where the harvest is. But in my own selfish desires to work in the church full-time, I tend to over look the ministry opportunities that are right in front of my face.
Do I believe God placed me in the welding field for a reason? Yes I do. Do I get frustrated when my preferred career goal always seems fleeting? Yes I do, but this is something else I believe. God is God and He knows what is best for me. He knows where He can use me the most, and therefore I believe He has placed me right where I am because He see's me being useful there.
Now it is my job to let go of what I think I should be doing, and listen to what God is asking me to do right where I am at. Maybe someday God will bless me with the opportunity to work for the church full-time and use the talents and gifts I have to offer, but for now, in this season of life, I must be thankful for the work He has given me to do now.
So my question to you is this, Where has God placed you? And are you looking for those opportunities or are you wishing you were somewhere else? Be careful what you wish for, because without God leading you there, you might regret it.
Philippians 1:5-6 (NIV)
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Observations of Romans- Part 2
The extent of mankind’s sin problem is far greater than I think we will ever know. It has affected every aspect of the world we live in from little children to the elderly. Sin is not a general term either; it is specific and expressed as such in God’s word. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, spends a large amount of time explaining to the Romans what sin has done and how it separates humanity from God. Unfortunately sin has a way of disguising itself to look like something that is not threatening or harmful. One can clearly see this in just about any television show you can find on TV.
Television is one of the greatest forms of communication we know in the world, and it is also, I believe, one of the biggest sources of sin as well. The content to which we allow to come into our homes through the television is candy coated and looks good, but comes on subtly and has a very deadly sting. Our children are bombarded with sinful actions, bad language and lack of moral values in many of the shows that are aired, and if we are not teaching them differently, to them it seems like a normal part of life. It is no wonder that divorce, suicide and drug addictions have become a common thing.
The consequences of such lazy guarding of the heart, is manifested again through the actions of our youth and even ourselves. What we put into our minds eventually comes back out in our actions, attitudes and mouth. The eyes are the window to the soul, we must guard what goes in. Paul’s letter to the Romans detailed many of the sinful acts that the world and humanity were involved in and he also laid out the consequences of those said actions. Romans 1:18- 25 says this; “18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (NIV) Paul is very clear as to the reason for God’s anger, and goes on in subsequent verses to explain what will happen because of their choices.
The “lostness” of humanity was and is so great, that God had to provide the ultimate fix, the final sacrifice, Jesus Christ. Through the shed blood of the sacrificial Lamb of God, the separation from God that existed in sin was removed, and the narrow road was again open for us to commune and exist under God’s love and protection.
First the sinfulness of humanity had to be recognized and dealt with. God’s righteous anger was great and He was inclined to give men and women over to their sinful lusts and desires. However; in His grace and mercy, He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him through His son, Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ we could be forgiven of our sins and looked upon as the righteous creation He intended us to be. This faith was not based on merit, culture, social status or any other means of separation; rather is was available for all humanity. Paul states, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." (NIV)
Lastly the Holy Spirit is promised for the true believer as a helper. The Spirit of God resting upon men as a constant companion, one to intercede on our behalf, to God the Father. Paul does a fantastic job detailing how and why we are lost, and what we must do to be saved. Through his passion and love for the gospel of Christ, many were saved and many more will follow.
Television is one of the greatest forms of communication we know in the world, and it is also, I believe, one of the biggest sources of sin as well. The content to which we allow to come into our homes through the television is candy coated and looks good, but comes on subtly and has a very deadly sting. Our children are bombarded with sinful actions, bad language and lack of moral values in many of the shows that are aired, and if we are not teaching them differently, to them it seems like a normal part of life. It is no wonder that divorce, suicide and drug addictions have become a common thing.
The consequences of such lazy guarding of the heart, is manifested again through the actions of our youth and even ourselves. What we put into our minds eventually comes back out in our actions, attitudes and mouth. The eyes are the window to the soul, we must guard what goes in. Paul’s letter to the Romans detailed many of the sinful acts that the world and humanity were involved in and he also laid out the consequences of those said actions. Romans 1:18- 25 says this; “18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (NIV) Paul is very clear as to the reason for God’s anger, and goes on in subsequent verses to explain what will happen because of their choices.
The “lostness” of humanity was and is so great, that God had to provide the ultimate fix, the final sacrifice, Jesus Christ. Through the shed blood of the sacrificial Lamb of God, the separation from God that existed in sin was removed, and the narrow road was again open for us to commune and exist under God’s love and protection.
First the sinfulness of humanity had to be recognized and dealt with. God’s righteous anger was great and He was inclined to give men and women over to their sinful lusts and desires. However; in His grace and mercy, He provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him through His son, Christ. Through faith in Jesus Christ we could be forgiven of our sins and looked upon as the righteous creation He intended us to be. This faith was not based on merit, culture, social status or any other means of separation; rather is was available for all humanity. Paul states, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." (NIV)
Lastly the Holy Spirit is promised for the true believer as a helper. The Spirit of God resting upon men as a constant companion, one to intercede on our behalf, to God the Father. Paul does a fantastic job detailing how and why we are lost, and what we must do to be saved. Through his passion and love for the gospel of Christ, many were saved and many more will follow.
Observations of Romans
This has been an interesting discussion on the book of Romans, and one that we could all stand to learn much from. Paul is the consummate minister, in that he has given his life to what he believed to be of the Lord. His conversion on the Damascus road impacted him in such a way, that he gives the rest of his life spreading the word of Christ. Teaching other believers the truth and how they should live out their faith, and encouraging other churches to stay strong in their faith.
Several statements were made this week that I thought were interesting, the first from Jan Congress (2009). She wrote; “III. Paul’s Exhortation To Live a Christian Life (Romans 8:28-15:13) What I observed in this section a Christians response to God’s love shown through the gift of salvation is to sacrifice ourselves and live as Christians. (Romans 12:1)” As we discuss living the life of a Christian, we must determine what the life of a Christian is. How is it defined, and how is it measured, how is it achieved? I think Paul goes to great lengths in Romans in explaining the what, and how of this question, especially in chapters 12-14.
The second statement I found interesting was by Steve Armes (2009) when he said; “the law exposes sin. (7:7-25)” This statement bears much weight, for without the law, how would we know our lawlessness? The same could be said of Christ. In terms of darkness and light, Christ brought light into the world through His life and through the law. As He taught, He shed light on the law taking it from what they knew like; thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not bear false witness, and he expounded on it. To look at a woman with lust in your eyes is the same as committing adultery with her in your heart. We have all told a lie, big or small it was a lie. Until Christ arrived the world was hopeless, dark and full of sin. The light He brought was that of truth, opened eyes and forgiveness.
The other interesting thing I learned was from Chris Butler (2009), He wrote; “People became foolish and let selfish desires overtake what they know as the truth. (1:18-32)
Chris was referring to the fact that the people knew God, but refused to honor Him or His laws. Instead they chose to live life the way they wanted to and thus they were separated further from Him. When you do this, live life the way you want to, there comes a time when it becomes natural, or normal. At this point, life as one knows it has become the complete opposite of what God wants. The godless and wicked that Paul is referring to were eventually given over to the things that they wanted. God handed them the reigns and said in a sense, “this is what you want? Then this I will give you.”
Paul’s letter to the Romans is most likely one of the clearest cut explanations of the Christian faith there is. His passion for spreading the word of Christ oozes from his letter and his excitement of the Roman church is plainly seen. Today’s ministers could experience many of these issues stated above. Living a Christian life in the world today could simply mean being born in America, middle class and attending church on special holidays. The ability to describe and understand what the life of a Christ follower (Christian) is foundational in helping someone understand what is expected of him or her. It isn’t a decision that is made one time and all is good from there on out. It is a daily decision to die to what we want in life and live our lives to serve the One who served us first, Jesus Christ.
This would also include the temptation to allow tradition overrule the truth of Christ. Many people allow tradition to dictate what they do and how they do it as apposed to seeking the wisdom of God. There are great dangers in allowing traditionalism to rule over truth and Christ’s divine guidance.
Several statements were made this week that I thought were interesting, the first from Jan Congress (2009). She wrote; “III. Paul’s Exhortation To Live a Christian Life (Romans 8:28-15:13) What I observed in this section a Christians response to God’s love shown through the gift of salvation is to sacrifice ourselves and live as Christians. (Romans 12:1)” As we discuss living the life of a Christian, we must determine what the life of a Christian is. How is it defined, and how is it measured, how is it achieved? I think Paul goes to great lengths in Romans in explaining the what, and how of this question, especially in chapters 12-14.
The second statement I found interesting was by Steve Armes (2009) when he said; “the law exposes sin. (7:7-25)” This statement bears much weight, for without the law, how would we know our lawlessness? The same could be said of Christ. In terms of darkness and light, Christ brought light into the world through His life and through the law. As He taught, He shed light on the law taking it from what they knew like; thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not bear false witness, and he expounded on it. To look at a woman with lust in your eyes is the same as committing adultery with her in your heart. We have all told a lie, big or small it was a lie. Until Christ arrived the world was hopeless, dark and full of sin. The light He brought was that of truth, opened eyes and forgiveness.
The other interesting thing I learned was from Chris Butler (2009), He wrote; “People became foolish and let selfish desires overtake what they know as the truth. (1:18-32)
Chris was referring to the fact that the people knew God, but refused to honor Him or His laws. Instead they chose to live life the way they wanted to and thus they were separated further from Him. When you do this, live life the way you want to, there comes a time when it becomes natural, or normal. At this point, life as one knows it has become the complete opposite of what God wants. The godless and wicked that Paul is referring to were eventually given over to the things that they wanted. God handed them the reigns and said in a sense, “this is what you want? Then this I will give you.”
Paul’s letter to the Romans is most likely one of the clearest cut explanations of the Christian faith there is. His passion for spreading the word of Christ oozes from his letter and his excitement of the Roman church is plainly seen. Today’s ministers could experience many of these issues stated above. Living a Christian life in the world today could simply mean being born in America, middle class and attending church on special holidays. The ability to describe and understand what the life of a Christ follower (Christian) is foundational in helping someone understand what is expected of him or her. It isn’t a decision that is made one time and all is good from there on out. It is a daily decision to die to what we want in life and live our lives to serve the One who served us first, Jesus Christ.
This would also include the temptation to allow tradition overrule the truth of Christ. Many people allow tradition to dictate what they do and how they do it as apposed to seeking the wisdom of God. There are great dangers in allowing traditionalism to rule over truth and Christ’s divine guidance.
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