From The Mind Of Wag...

Know The Will Of The Lord

2009-01-06T14:37:00.004-05:00

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:1-21 ESV

We all know that words and phrases change in meaning with each generation, for example, I grew up using “bad” for everything that was more than just good. I remember battling over this with my “un-cool” parents and teachers who just didn’t have a clue about the “real” world… And I remember when my dad became “cool” - why? Because he started using “bad” for good. I still use “bad” out of habit but it seems that only the over thirty crowd appreciates it because bad just seems to mean bad again.

Paul uses a word that may be a little skewed in today’s economy…

Look carefully then how you walk…

What does carefully mean to you?

Today, if I were to say to someone “Be careful” it would mean to walk cautiously, to be very watchful and wary in order to avoid danger or to discern enemies before they come too close.

In scripture “be careful” has a much different meaning than it does today.

Careful – to be “full” of care (vigilant, watchful regard and attentive)

vigilant - attentive to the discovery and avoidance of danger
watchful - attentive; cautious
regard - the effect on the mind
attentive - Heedful; intent; observant; regarding with care. It is applied to the senses of hearing and seeing, as an attentive ear or eye; to the application of the mind, as in contemplation

We can sum up what Paul means like this… Once we have been vigilant, watchful & attentive... then we must act correctly, accurately, consistently

correctly - in conformity with truth, justice, rectitude, or propriety; according to a standard; agreeable to a copy or original; exactly; accurately; without fault, or error; as, to behave correctly; to write, speak or think correctly; to judge correctly
accurately - conformed to truth, a standard or model; free from failure, error or defect
consistently - 1. marked by harmony, regularity or steady continuity 2. marked by agreement : COMPATIBLE 3. showing steady conformity to character, profession, belief or custom

We have a saying today that captures this idea – “Walk the talk”

WHY IS PAUL STRESSING A CORRECT, ACCURATE & CONSISTENT LIFESTYLE?

Because the days are evil –

Paul understood that life has the potential to consume the believer. He knew that a halfhearted, laid-back approach to the “Christian walk” would only lead to distraction, struggle, even failure. He knew that in order to survive one must be careful and diligent.

Now, if Paul was this intense about the need to “be careful”—to be correct, accurate and consistent in all that we do, in a time that was not as spiritually dangerous as today… How much more then should we live a “careful” lifestyle today?

I wonder how he would express this urgency today; what word or words we he use… Maybe he would say be very meticulous, cautious, painstaking or even shrewd in your daily practice. Peter uses a powerful visual when he says – “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith…” 1Peter 5:8-9 ESV

The second warning in this plea from Paul is found v.17 “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

“What does it mean to not be foolish?”

Foolish - 1. Void of understanding or sound judgment; weak in intellect 2. Unwise; imprudent; acting without judgment or discretion 3. Proceeding from folly or marked with folly; silliness; vanity; pettiness 4. Ridiculous; despicable

In scripture foolishness has the connotation of acting wicked, sinful or without regard to the divine law and glory. So, as Christians we are to act correctly, accurately and consistently, which is to walk according to counsel of the Lord; simply, to live as Jesus exampled for us. To not walk this way is to be a fool, someone who is acting wicked, sinful or without regard to God’s law and glory.

I really enjoy reading from The Message Bible, the simplicity of what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach us is usually captured quite well. Here is Ephesians 5:15-17 and I believe the translator nailed this one on the head for us! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. (MSG)

What is it the Master wants? Well, He has great plans for you and they include who you are to marry, where you are to live, work, etc. But bigger than those is to capture His heart and live as He lived among us, to Walk As Jesus Walked – You don’t believe me? Look at verse 1 - Therefore be imitators of God…

Bless you as you seek to know the will of the Father for your life. He wants you to know it; He wants you to succeed in your race to the finish line… GO FOR IT!

Wag

Hmmmmm...

2008-12-22T22:50:00.002-05:00

This is an excerpt from a friend of mine’s blog titled, Elephant Domination http://jungleswife.wordpress.com It made me stop and think and I figured it was worth reposting here.

Enjoy… Merry Christmas!

First Corinthians 13, the Christmas Version

Betsy Wright Rhodes

If I decorate my house perfectly with bows, twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I bake dozens of Christmas cookies, prepare gourmet meals and arrange a beautifully adorned table, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, sing carols in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s Christmas cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust - but giving the gift of love will endure.

Wag

Change - Dreaded or Embraced?

2008-12-08T18:39:00.002-05:00

He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” Luke 5:36-39 ESV

There has been a lot of discussion about “Change” lately, especially during the resent presidential campaign and upcoming presidency. A recent Twitterer asked the following question – “What is your opinion about change?” and I quickly answered, “Change is a necessary element to fullness of life, without it we grow stagnant...”. As I was pondering my response I decided to see what God would have to say about this discussion.

Here is my conclusion:

Change is an absolute! With out it, we will in fact grow stagnant. But there is a difference between change simply for the sake of change and change for the sake of the Kingdom. I for one am geared for constant change for example; I can’t stand to rent or own a home that isn’t laid out in such a way as to allow for resituating of the living room furniture (I get a little stir crazy about every 6-8 months and need to change it up in the living room) another example is my hair (facial and head) I can go from bald and beardless to shoulder length and goatee all within the same year. This kind of change, just for change sake, is cool and doesn’t really matter in the big picture.

But what about change when God is asking for it? How well do we respond to His request? For that matter how well do we even perceive His will? In the story above, God was doing a great and marvelous thing—He was preparing the stage for the most awesome event in all of human history and yet, those who resist change, those who were comfortable in their environment, those who only changed when it suited them…missed out and caused others to miss out as well (that’s an important insight to change or lack-there-of as well, what we do always affects others!).

Clearly, the old wineskins represent the teachings and traditions of the past. The new wineskins represent the fresh, current move of God. God is 100% committed to those of this day who are His – yes, but He is also 100% committed to those who do not yet walk in relationship with Him! When we resist His course of direction (which is really what change is…the lining up of my agenda with His or coming into agreement with His plan), back to my point, when we resist His course of direction, we can then only be off course – there is no “close enough”. We are either walking with Him or walking contrary to Him and I sure hope that we don’t need to discuss how that is bad, very bad…

Change is to life as water is to farming – if the farmer has no water, he has no crop! If we don’t change, when He is clearly leading us to it, than we will not have the fullness of life which He intends for us to have. Jesus came to give us life and life abundant – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 ESV

Change… Its Good For Your Health!

Wag

Are You A Sojourner?

2008-11-10T16:41:00.000-05:00

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2Corinthians 5:1-4 ESV

How are you living? Is your focus only upon the tangible, the stuff that you can grab hold of or are you living with the absolute awareness of a promised future – one that begins in the here and now but goes on into eternity? Are you a sojourner?

Sojourner – 1. a temporary resident 2. a person who resides temporarily in a place –

“A TRAVELER”

Paul lived “in” the assurance of his hope… immortal glory. Many don’t like to discuss death; I get that the idea of dying can be scary but for the believer in Jesus Christ this shouldn’t be!

When those who don’t know the Lord share with me their fear of dying, they actually present an open door to the offer of hope – a life everlasting! But when those who know the Lord share this same fear, something is wrong…

I’ve heard it said that all Christians want to get to Heaven; they just don’t want to die to get there. Well…to put it bluntly, there ain’t no other way to get there! We all are going to die, this is fact. The challenge we face is – do we, with fear and trembling, do everything possible to hold on to our physical life, hoping to attain the maximum 120 yrs (read Genesis 6); hey let’s say you do reach birthday # 120, at the absolute most you will only have 12 more months to live but you will not escape it death will come to all of us! Or do we embrace this temporary life in the same fashion as Paul, recognizing that life is in fact short, but in the physical end the eternal begins. Paul was a traveler, he knew that his permanent address was not here on earth.

Death need not be something which is feared. Those who are “IN” Christ, should actually live towards that end – yes, I meant to structure it that way… Christians, must understand that man was created to be in eternal fellowship with the living God and that one day what is mortal WILL be swallowed up by life!!!! Paul also said this, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 ESV

Paul didn’t have any “special magic dust” making him into the perfect Christian, able to live in such a way that no one else could. No, he was just like you and me…human. The only difference may be that he embraced his cross and lived for one reason…to the glory of His King! He knew, that he knew, that he knew - when his physical life came to an end…true life would then begin!

Embrace this life, live for the King, look to eternity!

Wag

Discipleship, "What Does It Mean To Follow Jesus?"

2008-10-31T16:30:00.005-04:00

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25 ESV

What does it mean to “follow”?

follow - 1. to engage in as a way of life; obey, pursue, practice, conform (It is our duty to follow the commands of Christ. Good soldiers follow the orders of their general; good servants follow the directions of their master.) 2. to go after, pursue, chase 3. to accompany; to attend in a journey 4. to imitate; to copy; as, to follow a pattern or model

Webster’s

So, what does it mean to be a “follower” of Jesus? Well, if we incorporate Webster’s definition into the answer, to follow Christ means to engage Him as our way of life! To obey Him! To go after Him! To be His attendant while accompanying Him through life’s journey! To imitate Him while conforming to His example! Following Jesus requires the denial of self and fellowship with Him in the cross—a fellowship of faith as well as a fellowship of life, sharing in His sufferings not only inwardly, but outwardly if necessary. Following Jesus involves such inner, moral, spiritual and physical union that I am fully decreased and He is fully increased in me and through me! (“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30 ESV)

“…there is a vast difference between coming to Jesus for salvation and coming after Jesus for service. Coming to Christ makes one a believer, while coming after Christ makes one a disciple. All believers are not disciples. To become a believer one accepts the invitation of the Gospel. To be a disciple, one obeys the challenge of a life of dedicated service and separation. Salvation comes through the sacrifice of Christ, but discipleship comes only by sacrifice of self and surrender to His call for devoted service. Salvation is free, but discipleship involves paying the price of a separated walk.”

Dr. M. R. DeHaan (founder, Radio Bible Class)

Wag

Discipleship, "What Is It?" part 3

2008-10-31T16:16:00.004-04:00

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-19 ESV

Once we have recognized that our character is in need of ongoing development, discipleship is the “vehicle” for the Godly development of our character!

This term “make disciples” has much more to do with developing lasting relationships then it does with simply making converts! “Make disciples”, suggests the deep shaping of one’s character and the cultivation of one’s world-view through a close, personal relationship between the discipler and his disciple.

Discipleship is the process in which one is transformed, over time, into Christ-likeness.

“The renewal of our natures is a work of great importance. It is not to be done in a day. We have not only a new house to build up, but an old one to pull down.”

George Whitefield

In a nutshell, discipleship is...

· REPRODUCTION!! – “LIFE giving LIFE”

· learning and teaching “Life Principles of the Kingdom”

· the empowering of others as God has empowered us

· a committed relationship through which an individual receives ongoing council, instruction, encouragement and correction—enabling growth and maturity in Christ, thus becoming a fully devoted follower of JESUS

“It’s the biblical means to bring about positive change in the everyday lives of believers—or in the lives of everyday believers.” Bill McCartney

The disciple is a learner, open and teachable. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding”. Proverbs 9:9-10 The disciple seeks to be proficient* in his walk with the Lord, it’s not at all about perfection—for we are made perfect only in Christ but a disciple does need to strive to do his best for the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:22-24

* Proficiency comes from trying to do everything well through commitment to excellence. God has equipped each of us with skills and He gives us gifts for the complete accomplishment of His will, in us and in the world. The only hindrance to proficiency is ones level of commitment to excellence—we MUST find out what God’s will is for us and be about His business! For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:8-11

A great deal of what discipleship is… is learning to view life through the eyes of God. A disciple will find it extremely hard to be successful in the walk of faith without proper “Perspective & Vision”.

- perspective - the aspect in which things or circumstances are mentally or naturally viewed

- vision - the aspect in which things or circumstances are viewed otherwise than by ordinary sight

For the disciple of Jesus Christ, it’s not a matter of either/or but a healthy blend of the two aspects for viewing life—God created us with the capacity to see in the natural, but He wants us to come and gain His perspective, “God-vision”, for walking through what we see in the natural (the stuff & circumstances of life). Unfortunately, good clear perspective mixed with “God-vision” are rare commodities among Christians, we tend to get stuck in the here and now—our immediate circumstances and situations…we must decide to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” Proverbs 3:5

Wag

Discipleship, "What Is It?" part 2

2008-10-31T12:58:00.004-04:00

Discipleship is not only my favorite subject but it is God’s as well; the “Great Commission” makes that point clear. But what is it? If you Google search that question you will quickly discover that the Church is realizing that WE NEED TO MAKE DISCIPLES and not just converts.

The following are quotes on this subject; the first three are mine:

“To fear God more than man is the key which unlocks the door to one’s destiny!”

“Being a disciple requires a life-long commitment to Jesus, to the things of God and to the body of Christ (The Church). None could say, with any sincerity of heart, that he is committed to Christ if he does not care to grow in his knowledge of God through a lifestyle of study, prayer, worship and praise. A true disciple of Christ also carries the burden of His Lord—multiplication through active discipleship.”

“We don’t become a disciple of Jesus solely through conversion. With Jesus’ words “Make disciples” we see that a disciple is made not birthed; one is “re-born” through converting from a life contrary to God then invited to become a disciple of Jesus through interaction with Him via other disciples. Again, with Jesus’ words “…teaching them…” it is clear that discipleship is a life-long process in which each believer is transformed into the likeness of his Master, Christ. This then should be the Christians motto, ‘Those who don’t know…must be taught—those who do know…must be teachers!’ ”

For the rest of this list, I did the best I could to give proper recognition:

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Salvation is free... but discipleship will cost you your life.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“The emphasis to-day is being put on the fact that we have to save men; we have not. We have to exalt the Saviour, who saves men and then make disciples in His Name.” Oswald Chambers

“Maturity doesn’t come with age; it comes with acceptance of responsibility”. Ed Cole

“One does not surrender a life in an instant—that which is lifelong, can only be surrendered in a lifetime.” Jim Elliot

“God’s plan for an individual’s life is not incubation, but transformation. The church is a place where God empowers people to become Christlike. Today, heaven is again calling each of us to break free of the shell of “religion” and embrace the liberty and power of a Christlike life.” Francis Frangipane

“Our call is not to be conformed to the world, but by grace to be transformed by God. This call is not to be static, but to move beyond rigidity and relativism, tribalism and compromise. It is not to resist all change, bury our heads and dig in our feet. Rather, it is a cry to be transformed by God in a changing world without being conformed to its contemporary powers. What a challenge for the people of God!” Dick Keyes

“Christianity does not consist in any partial amendment of our lives, any particular moral virtues, but in an entire change of our natural temper, a life wholly devoted to God.” William Law

“If you have not chosen the Kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.” William Law

“Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self...” C.S. Lewis

“No man has the mind of Christ, except him who makes it his business to obey him.” George MacDonald

“How disabled the body of Christ has become because our primary purpose for church attendance has been to hear one man exercise his gifts, rather than to prepare people to develop their gifts for ministry, not only within the church but within society.” David R. Mains

“A Christian is not of hasty growth...but rather like the oak, the progress of which is hardly perceptible, but in time becomes a deep-rooted tree.” John Newton

“The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life.” John Ortberg

“Christianity must evoke from the believer the same response it drew from the first disciples: a passionate desire to obey God - a willingly entered-into discipline. That is the beginning of true discipleship. That is the beginning of loving God” Randy Peck

“You have but one Pattern; follow Him inwardly and outwardly. If other believers will go step for step with you, well; but if not, follow Him!” John Wesley

“Blessed is the man who finds out which way God is moving and then gets going in the same direction.” Unknown

Conclusion… Let’s be about the Kings business and MAKE DISCIPLES!

Wag

Cleanse - To Purify; To Make Clean; To Remove Filth Or Foul Matter Of Any Kind

2008-10-28T15:42:00.004-04:00

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1John 1:-9 ESV

The word cleanse is used twice and each time it speaks to a very specific need of the human soul… to be forgiven and to be found right in the eyes of God.

cleanse - to purify; to make clean; to remove filth or foul matter of any kind

In the original Greek the word for cleanse places emphasis on “making or purging” – illustrating that man can’t cleanse himself, he must be “made clean”! Only in this can ones conscience be free from the guilt of sin.

Sin is simply the act of “missing the mark”. Sin is an archery term and an archer who can not hit the bulls-eye will adjust and re-adjust until he hits his target – the “bulls-eye”. The bulls-eye that man is to hit is Christ. We are to aim for Him (seeking to be Christ-like in our characters) and each time we miss that mark we are to adjust and try again. Now, sin manifests in many different ways; just as each archer will miss the bulls-eye in varying degrees (high, low, left, right, somewhere on the target to completely off the board), humans will miss the target in varying degrees (sex, greed, lies, drugs, thievery, rage etc.) and we all need the same thing… forgiveness smothered with grace. Jesus’ blood provides for this.

Unrighteousness is the condition we are found in if we don’t adjust our aim and shoot right. To be righteous is to be “in” right standing with God. It’s not perfection, for only Christ is perfect, but it is being “in” Christ and then benefiting (through union with Him) from His rightness with His Father, God.

Consider again, the lyrics of one of the most famous songs in Christendom:

What Can Wash Away My Sin

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

For my cleansing this I see
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
For my pardon this my plea
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Nothing can my sin erase
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Naught of works, ‘tis all of grace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

This is all my hope and peace
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
This is all my righteousness
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

I hope you are getting the point of this post – God absolutely, positively, without question is madly in love with YOU! If you want peace of mind, freedom from feeling guilty - then I beg you… Let Go And Let God! I know that is an over used sentiment but in this case it is valid. God is longing to cleanse you from your sin and your unrighteousness.

Here is another song that has been gaining in popularity because speaks to the simple truth, He loves us – period!

He Loves Us

John Mark McMillan

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking

So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves

Cause He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves

Yeah, He loves us,

Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves

Wag

Live Well, It Is For His Glory!

2008-10-16T14:08:00.003-04:00

Be wise in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every opportunity you have. Colossians 4:5 GNB

Normally, I like to focus on the fact that God accepts us 100% - there is nothing any of us can do to affect this…He loves us each as much as He ever has and ever will – period! His love for us doesn’t increase as we “mature” nor does it decrease when we “fail”. But… He does desire for us to become more and more like His Son. The more Christ-like we are…the more people are attracted to the One who can set them free!

As the Church, we represent God to the world and it is His name and reputation on the line, NOT OURS. Those whom we come into contact with each and every day form an opinion as to who/what we are. That opinion may not always be accurate but we all know that first impressions matter, right?

While reading Colossians the other day I came across this interpreter’s perspective on the above verse (Albert Barnes from Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible):

§ People of the world judge of religion, not from the profession, but from the life of its friends.

§ they judge of religion, not from preaching, or from books, or from the conduct of its Founder and His apostles, but from what they see in the daily walk and conversation of the members of the church.

§ they understand the nature of religion so well as to know when its friends are or are not consistent with their profession.

§ they set a much higher value on honesty and integrity than they do on the doctrines and duties of religion; and if the professed friends of religion are destitute of the principles of truth and honesty, they think they have nothing of any value. They may be very devout on the Sabbath; very regular at prayer-meetings; very strict in the observance of rites and ceremonies - but all these are of little worth in the estimation of the world, unless attended with an upright life.

§ no professing Christian can possibly do good to others who does not live an upright life. If you have cheated a man out of never so small a sum, it is vain that you talk to him about the salvation of his soul; if you have failed to pay him a debt when it was due, or to finish a piece of work when you promised it, or to tell him the exact truth in conversation, it is vain for you to endeavor to induce him to be a Christian. He will feel, if he does not say - and he might very properly say - that he wants no religion which will not make a man honest.

§ no person will attempt to do much good to others whose own life is not upright. He will be sensible of the inconsistency, and will feel that he cannot do it with any sense of propriety; and the honor of religion, therefore, and the salvation of our fellow-men, demand that in all our intercourse with others, we should lead lives of the strictest integrity.

Again, God loves and accepts us not because of our perfect & upright life but because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross in our behalf. This issue isn’t about whether or not you are going to spend eternity with God but it may just have baring on someone else’s eternity – yes, we each are responsible for our own decisions and none can ultimately blame someone else for their decision to reject so great a gift as salvation through Christ alone but, I for one would hate it if someone could look at me and say that my example turned them off to God. Am I perfect? No way! Do I fail in front of Him and others? Absolutely! But I seek to live each day according to His pleasure (the best that I can) so that others would know Him…

Wag

God Loves You And He Is Not Mad At You!

2008-10-14T17:10:00.006-04:00

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 ESV

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 ESV

I have always had a problem with the bumper sticker which reads – “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven…” My problem with it is that often there is a shirking of responsibility “to become Christ-like” in our behavior, behind the bold statement so casually stuck on the back of our car. I am not going to spend anymore time on this…that is for another day.

That being said though, there is also great truth within the message – we aren’t expected by God to be perfect, that’s impossible. Only Jesus is perfect and in and through His perfectness, we find our forgiveness! Thank You God! This leads me to the point of this post.

First, I find it very cool that verses 13 & 14 in two different chapters speak to the same point. I don’t know what, if anything, that means – it was just cool J.

I want to re-write the sticker, place it on the driver side of the window and then write a second one for the passenger side. The first one should read “Christians are delivered, transferred, redeemed and forgiven” The second one should read “I was dead in my sin but GOD, (I love the “but God’s” in the scripture – they are always loaded with some kind of power statement regarding His activity within His creation) made me alive…forgiving my sinfulness and canceling the debt I owed by way of the Cross.”

I want to break down each nugget of truth within this text –

§ DELIVERED – to deliver is to 1. free; to release, as from restraint; to deliver one from captivity. 2. to rescue, or save.

§ TRANSFERRED – to transfer is to 1. move somebody or something to a different position or location or from the control of one person or organization to that of another 2. transplant: lift and reset in another soil or situation 3. a changing of ownership

§ REDEEMED – to redeem is to 1. repurchase captured goods or prisoners; the act of procuring the deliverance of persons or things from the possession and power of captors by the payment of an equivalent; ransom; release 2. deliverance from bondage, distress

§ FORGIVEN – to forgive is to pardon; to remit (In pardoning sin, God releases the sinner from the condemnation of the law because of Christ’s work on the cross; His death removes the sinner’s actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. The sinner is by His grace, freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins.)

§ ALIVE – 1. a state of action; unextinguished; undestroyed; unexpired 2. in a scriptural sense, regenerated; born again

If you are a Christian, rejoice and again I say rejoice in what He has given you.

If you are not walking in a sense of forgiveness, if you feel despair, hopelessness – please email me and let me help you… GOD LOVES YOU AND HE IS NOT MAD AT YOU!

Wag

Discipleship, "What Is It?" part 1

2008-10-01T16:37:00.005-04:00

Any of you who know me are not surprised that I am writing about “discipleship”… This is my favorite subject, not because it is necessarily exciting, fun or even popular – although it is very exciting (there is nothing more enjoyable than watching an individual get fired-up for the things of the Kingdom) and it is filled with very and challenging season’s & events! Yet, it is one of the most controversial and un-popular subjects of modern day Christendom. I personally believe it is the lack of solid Biblical and Holy Spirit led discipleship that keeps Western Christianity weak in influence.

The root of discipleship is not contrived in the mind of man…quite the contrary; it is at the heart of God’s plan for you and me! God wants us to be shaped and molded into the image of His Son, Jesus and He has provided the vehicle for the Godly development of our character in discipleship. We don’t “accidentally” become Christ-like in our behavior - we must be intentional in shaping our life-pattern to that of Christ’s and only through Biblical discipleship can this happen.

Today, I read a great quote by Dallas Willard; he was speaking to fact that the lack of discipleship within the Church today is the proverbial “elephant the room”. He says that we need to “…make disciples and let converts happen instead of intending to make converts and let disciples happen…”. Converts are not God’s ultimate plan for man, yes one must be converted in order to become a disciple but making disciples is the call upon the Church.

Being a disciple requires a life-long commitment to Jesus, to the things of God and to the body of Christ (The Church). It is impossible for a true disciple of Christ to say, with any sincerity of heart, that he is committed to Christ if he does not care to grow in the knowledge of God. A true disciple of Christ also carries the burden of His Lord—multiplication through active discipleship. It’s interesting to note the definition of the little 2 letter word “go”. Go means to be habitually in a certain state or condition of action. In the context of Matthew 28:19 it also means to be aggressive in the process of making disciples (not like the cults with their overzealous annoyance’s) but to be aggressively about the King’s agenda of making of disciples.

We don’t become a disciple of Jesus solely through conversion. With Jesus’ words “Make disciples” we see that a disciple is made not birthed; one is “re-born” through converting from a life contrary to God then invited to become a disciple of Jesus through interaction with Him via other disciples. Again, with Jesus’ words “…teaching them…” it is clear that discipleship is a life-long process in which each believer is transformed into the likeness of his Master, Christ. This then should be the Christians motto, ‘Those who don’t know…must be taught—those who do know…must be teachers!’

More quotes on Discipleship:
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

How disabled the body of Christ has become because our primary purpose for church attendance has been to hear one man exercise his gifts, rather than to prepare people to develop their gifts for ministry, not only within the church but within society. David R. Mains

No one can sum up all God is able to accomplish through one solitary life, wholly yielded, adjusted and obedient to Him. D.L. Moody

Christianity must evoke from the believer the same response it drew from the first disciples: a passionate desire to obey God - a willingly entered-into discipline. That is the beginning of true discipleship. That is the beginning of loving God. Randy Peck

Life is a pilgrimage of learning, a voyage of discovery in which our mistaken views are corrected, our distorted notions adjusted, our shallow opinions deepened and some of our vast ignorance diminished. John Stott

You have but one Pattern; follow Him inwardly and outwardly. If other believers will go step for step with you, well; but if not, follow Him! John Wesley

Wag

For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free!

2008-09-22T17:11:00.004-04:00

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 ESV

To give a little backdrop to this post… Yesterday during our gathering, the question was asked – “If we are free in Christ, does that mean we can do whatever we want…won’t people take advantage of this?” Well let me tell you, this opened up a conversation that lasted the rest of service, it was great! I pondered this topic the rest of the day and on into the evening. In fact, I woke up this morning with the subject still fresh in my thoughts. So I figured it would make a good post…

To you, what does it mean to be free in Christ? We use this term constantly but is using the term enough? Are we living in “freedom” as the Bible means or are we living as we want? There is a difference.

The world would define freedom something like this; to be really free and able to do exactly what ever you want, when ever you want, how ever you want and with who ever you want… sound familiar?

The dictionary defines freedom as a state of exemption from the power or control of another; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. But what does the Bible mean when the word freedom is used? Are we really allowed to just run amuck with no care in the world; all-the-while claiming praise God I’m saved! Or, is there something bigger behind the meaning of this word? YES!

Freedom according to the Bible has more to do with the word emancipation which means - the act of setting free from slavery, servitude, subjection or dependence; deliverance from bondage or controlling influence; liberation; as the emancipation of slaves by their proprietors. The law is the covenant of bondage. This is at the heart of Paul’s pleading that we cling to our freedom found only in Christ. His burden was that followers of Christ would not to be subjected again to the burden of Jewish law, being made slaves again to rites, customs and habits. The heart of the book of Galatians is FREEDOM; freedom from the pursuit of righteousness through works, which is wearisome and empty in the end. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. Galatians 5:2-4

As the infomercials would boldly state…But wait! That’s not all – with this freedom you also receive a life-long, even eternal relationship with the living God of the universe, absolutely FREE! Wait! There’s more – act now and you will also receive a guilt free conscience!

This entire package is yours to be had right now because Jesus Christ has paid, in full, the price required and this is known as GRACE…

One of my favorite worship songs is “Your Love Is Extravagant” written by Darrell Evans. Casting Crowns has done a great job with this cover, turn it on close your eyes and listen – God is awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhFkbRR6DSU

Wag

Reconciliation

2008-09-18T17:08:00.003-04:00

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV

An evangelist is one who recognizes how great it is to be reconciled to God and to be in fellowship with Him. He understands that God provided the way for this relationship to exist by making His own Son pay the debt we each owed. He also understands the awesome and privileged responsibility we have of getting this message out to the entire world!
Reconciliation restores the fellowship we were created to have with the living, loving God of the universe! Fellowship with God is…
companionship - mutual association on equal and friendly terms
partnership - joint interest
company - a state of being together
communion - intimate familiarity
God doesn’t need us—He wants to share Himself and His eternity with us! Beloved, we need to get this; God WANTS to share all of who He is with us! He so wants this that even the “cost” to acquire this relationship would not deter Him form creating man. Revelation 13:8 makes clear that even before He began creating, the cost was understood—His only Son would have to die! All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. (NIV) Would you or I have gone through with a plan that would cost this much? NO.
Reconciliation brings deliverance and FREEDOM! Let me ask a question, “Why do some believe and not others?”. I think part of the reason the world doesn’t see God as the answer life, is because His own people often walk around as bound up as they are, all-the-while claiming “God is good”. If we would walk as the delivered and free people we are in Christ, you can bet that the world would be as attracted to us (ultimately, the Christ in us) and we would be able to freely proclaim that our hope is found nowhere but in Jesus Christ!

Wag

I Pledge My Head To Heaven

2008-09-09T12:33:00.008-04:00

As Jesus was starting on his way again, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?”… Mark 10:17 GNB

Jesus looked straight at him with love and said, “You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” When the man heard this, gloom spread over his face, and he went away sad, because he was very rich. Mark 10:21-22 GNB

What is it that Jesus would ask of you that would be too much for you to give up?

Keith Green, one of my favorite Christian music artists, wrestled with this same challenge… Keith’s heart was poured out in his song writing and one of my favorites (which seems weird to say since it cuts right to the heart) is “I Pledge My Head To Heaven”. These lyrics are rich with the reality of what it means to walk with Jesus as Lord not just as a man.

I Pledge My Head To Heaven
Keith Green

Well, I pledge my head to heaven for the gospel,
And I ask no man on earth to fill my needs.
Like the sparrow up above, I am enveloped in his love,
And I trust him like those little ones, he feeds.

Well I pledge my wife to heaven, for the gospel,
Though our love each passing day just seems to grow.
As I told her when we wed, I'd surely rather be found dead,
Than to love her more than the one who saved my soul.

I'm your child, and I want to be in your family forever.
I'm your child, and I'm going to follow you,
No matter whatever the cost, I'm gonna count all things lost.

Well I pledge my son to heaven for the gospel.
Though he's kicked and beaten, ridiculed and scorn.
I will teach him to rejoice, and life a thankful praising voice,
And to be like him who bore the nails and crown of thorns.

I'm your child, and I want to be in your family forever.
I'm your child, and I'm going to follow you,
No matter whatever the cost, I'm gonna count all things lost.
Oh no matter whatever the cost, I'm gonna count all things lost.
Well I've had the chance to gain the world, and to live just like a king,
But without your love, it doesn't mean a thing.

Oh no matter whatever the cost, I'm gonna count all things lost,
Oh no matter whatever the cost, I'm gonna count all things lost.
Well I pledge my son, I pledge my wife, I pledge my head to heaven,
I pledge my son, I pledge my wife, I pledge my head to heaven, for the gospel.

I know that we are not saved by works; I hope that is obvious by the content of my previous blog posts. But I am also challenged with what it means to call Him Lord. Biblical Lordship is living my life IN Him and FOR Him, nothing more and nothing less…

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 2Corinthians 5:9 ESV

Once when large crowds of people were going along with Jesus, he turned and said to them, “Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well. Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples…” Luke 14:25-27 GNB

“In the same way," concluded Jesus, “none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have…” Luke 14:33 GNB

None of us really knows what we will do in any given situation but I am fairly (fairly being the key word) confident that I can stand before my God and say with Keith and countless others - that I pledge my head to Heaven and to all that entails… My family and I have been through a lot and have had to give up things and dreams for the Kings agenda to be fulfilled in and out of our lives, but there is much more that could be asked – we live a “comfortable” life as Western Christians and I like it! This though is where I struggle, if He asked me to go and sell everything I have and then to give all the proceeds away…would I?

I can’t imagine what it would be like to have everything stripped away, like Job – to go through this journey with the intensity of Paul amid all his sacrifice i.e. wifeless, beaten close to death numerous times, shipwrecked even once let alone numerous times, jailed for the Gospel, hungry etc.

I have a friend who felt that he was called to minister to the homeless of his community – sounds simple enough, heck many do this – only he felt that he needed to buy a home as close as possible to the park where they slept and then to open it up as a safe place, no questions asked. He often would not even be able to stay in his own home since it was full to capacity. I know that he has been given money to take care of his basic needs but instead he has used the money to help others within the community he has created.

The list of examples is certainly longer than this and your own life experience may blow his out of the water, my point is simply that I know I have more to give and I want to be able to do so if He asks me for more.

Fear nothing but God,
Hate nothing but evil,
Desire nothing but the Kingdom…

Grace to you all,

Wag

God Is Excited About You And Your Future!

2008-09-02T16:59:00.006-04:00

I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 GW

We have all read or heard stories about those who have chosen to die for the glory of God and we think to ourselves “Wow! I wonder if I could stand even in the face of death.”

But what about “continuing on” in the face of tragedy or out-of-our-control circumstances?

What about trusting God in all things - even when they make not one bit of sense to us?

I believe it is easier to choose immediate death for the glory of God than to keep the faith in the wake of life’s turmoil.

Remember Todd Beamer, the hero who helped over-through the hijackers during the 9/11 attacks? Many have marveled at his wife Lisa, whose strength and ability to carry on after the tragic lose of her husband, was quite inspiring to say the least. Through it all she has adamantly given all the credit to God for her strength and peace.

Several years ago - Lisa was interviewed by Larry King. During the interview she was asked several questions about her faith, about her church and about keeping her faith. He asked her if during the previous months she had ever doubted in God.

Here is a little piece of this interview:

BEAMER: My church is a Christian Missionary Alliance Church, but we just try to follow what the Bible says and try to find out how it applies to our lives every day in the 21st century. A lot of people think the Bible is irrelevant to our lives here now, but we found that by studying it and looking at the examples in it, especially the example of Jesus, we are able to determine how to live our lives through tough times and easy times and certainly no time is more relevant to me than now about how to do that.

KING: Did you not at all, Lisa, question your faith when this happened?

BEAMER: I didn’t. I referred before to when my father passed away 17 years ago and I think as a 15-year-old I did question my faith at that time and say, “God, why would You let this happen?”

You know, this isn’t in the plan that I had and I don’t think a God who loves you would have let this happen to me, but I spent quite a few years trying to think through that question and getting the right answer to it.

And I think God led me to a place where I understand that just because I have faith in God doesn’t mean that He is going prevent every horrible thing from happening to me or take me away from the difficulties that this world brings to us, but that He is going to screen those difficulties and only allow those in that He wants to allow in and then through the difficulties certainly continue to show His love for me and the promise that I’m going to spend eternity with Him in heaven and that is the perspective that I was able to get after a few years of grappling with my father’s death and that perspective came to me obviously immediately on September 11 and has stuck like glue since then. So even looking back on the tragedy of my father’s death, there is a reason for that, even if it was for nothing else but to prepare me for September 11. It was certainly a valuable piece of my life that I know that God orchestrated in advance for me. So I look to this tragedy along the same lines and say, I don’t know what it means for the big picture of my life right now, but I do trust that God was in control that day and that He is taking care of me and loving me through this now.

How is it that some can survive incredible challenges with such energy, with such joy and with such confidence? Answer - Because they have come to a place of extreme confidence in their relationship with the living God! They have come to understand that He has a plan and that He is well aware and acquainted with our sufferings…their confidence is in Him not in this temporal existence.

God has a plan for each and every one of us! That’s His promise to us in Jeremiah. A “plan” is a method for accomplishing an objective. God’s objective is that you prosper - 1. to make steady progress 2. to succeed 3. to thrive 4. to increase 5. to become strong 6. to flourish. God wants you to live a life filled with hope - desire with expectation of fulfillment

Whatever the circumstance, God will not leave us hanging.

He is always about the business of accomplishing His plan and it INCLUDES YOU!

He is excited about you and your future!

Wag

What Is Righteousness?

2008-08-29T13:27:00.001-04:00

Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God. 2Corinthians 5:21 CEV

…so that Christ could make us ACCEPTABLE to God! WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW! Those of us, who have given our life to Christ, making Him Lord, now (right now) stand before Him in a state of acceptance.

We don’t have to work for it – Christ did it; Hallelujah!

Righteousness entitles us – yes, “entitles” – to Kingdom stuff. I know, “entitles” sounds arrogant but it is the truth, Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! For in our union with Christ he has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children---this was his pleasure and purpose. Let us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! Ephesians 1:3-6 GNB It would be FALSE humility to say it any other way.

Unfortunately, much of the Church believes the lie of our enemy who says it is wrong to grab hold of our inheritance.

Our acceptance is not simply that we are just “barely lucky enough” to squeak by… NO! we have the privilege to stand before Him in the state of “sonship”, free from guilt and fear! Sonship also entitles us (there’s that word again) to the Kingdom and all that is within.

This is the “Good News” which we are called to spread throughout the land.

Abba, thank You for Your free gift of salvation, for making me and all who will come unto You through Your Son, Jesus Christ, able to stand before You guilt-free. I thank You for Your sweet fellowship and for peace that surpasses all understanding. You are good and worthy of all glory, honor and praise! Amen and amen!

Wag

Common Clay Pots

2008-08-27T13:17:00.001-04:00

For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. The God who said, “Out of darkness the light shall shine!” is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Christ. Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. 2Corinthians 4:5-10 GNB

The Story of the Cracked Pot (Author Unknown)

A water bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself and I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, our flaws will be used to grace the Master’s table.

Praise God that in spite of ourselves, He use’s us according to His plan and for His glory!!!!!!

Wag

Honor With Words But Not The Heart...

2008-08-25T14:42:00.002-04:00

So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law asked Jesus, “Why is it that your disciples do not follow the teaching handed down by our ancestors, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?” Jesus answered them, “How right Isaiah was when he prophesied about you! You are hypocrites, just as he wrote: ‘These people, says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me. It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach human rules as though they were my laws!’ “You put aside God’s command and obey human teachings.” Matthew 7:5-8 GNB

I have been a believer for more than 14 yrs and I have been involved with several mainstream denominations while on this journey. One thing that I have learned so far is that no one movement has all the answers. In fact, the reason we have so many denominations and movements is because leaders come to the conclusion that whatever piece of truth they have come to understand and so they must go off and teach this truth under a new name i.e. “1st Such and Such of….” I’ve said it before and I will as many more times as needed – “Denominationalism is nothing more than the dismemberment of the Body of Christ!” and the more “religious” we become about our personal set of beliefs, the harder it gets to teach the Truth instead of our truth.

In the above passage, the Pharisees and teachers of the law represent religion. Religion is about rules, hoping to make oneself acceptable in the eyes of God. Unfortunately, religion can only lead to death, never to life!

If we look close at this passage we can discover a simple truth within the questioning of Jesus – “Why is it that your disciples do not follow the teaching handed down by our ancestors…?” Did you catch it? Those who are Jesus’ (…your disciples do not follow…), follow His teachings not the teachings of men. When we follow the teachings of men we get bogged down in debate and striving (mostly debate). Jesus came to give us life more abundantly “The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life---life in all its fullness.” John 10:10 GNB Jesus nailed it when He said, “These people, says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me...” Works are the product of the flesh; worship is born of the heart.

Jesus also offers rest for the religious pursuit of the soul. Each one of us is born with the quest to find the answer to life and that quest can be satisfied only in Jesus! “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 GNB

Life Demands An Answer…God Is It!

Wag

...They Were All Amazed.

2008-08-19T12:38:00.001-04:00

On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue. Many people were there; and when they heard him, they were all amazed. “Where did he get all this?” they asked. “What wisdom is this that has been given him? How does he perform miracles? Isn't he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren't his sisters living here?”
And so they rejected him. Mark 6:2-3 GNB

Many times throughout the scriptures we see people amazed at the work of God; can you imagine what it would have been like to witness your city walls crumble at God’s command – how about watching a pillar of fire lead a group of people through the dessert or to watch Jesus re-attach the ear of one of your fellow enlisted men. Good news, Jesus is still doing great works in our midst today!

In fact, I have experienced first hand His great and marvelous power, for example: in 2005, I was told that I was dying of heart failure and that I desperately need a heart transplant if I was going to live. On Aug. 28th ’05 I was admitted into the hospital and no one was sure if I would go home again. But God had a plan that was beyond human wisdom! I left that hospital exactly two weeks later with my original heart in tact and with the word miracle being accepted by some. By the end of Feb. ’06, I was removed from the transplant list completely and to this day I have a clean bill of health and even some of the medical professionals admitting that a miracle has taken place – there is a lot more details to this story but I want to get to my bigger point.

As I read the above verse, I was hit by the fact that those who just moments ago amazed at Jesus now rejected Him with such firmness that He had to leave the city. That same spirit was and is at work within those who insist that what has happened to me is just “luck” or the “great work of the doctors” – just a quick side note: if God chooses to use the medical profession or to just apply His touch to the situation, that’s His right and I say praise God in both situations! We spend too much time debating how God works. He is in charge of everything and if you are told you are going to die and then you are told your are going to live…that is a miracle and miracles are of God—nothing else.

When you witness something that is so mind blowing that it is outside human normalcy, give God the glory and don’t try to “figure it out”. If we look closely at this situation it is easy to see what happened, they reasoned with the mind of man and with five quick questions they rejected not just the miracles and amazing authority with which Jesus operated but Him personally – how tragic!

Many around me have said with amazement that something great has taken place within my physical body but when I tell them who is behind the miracle they have reasoned it away and rejected Him.

Consider again those things which you have witnessed and thought to be miraculous but eventually blew off as just luck or coincidence because of your or someone else’s “great reasoning” and give GOD THE CREDIT AND GLORY HE DESERVES!

Wag

...From God's Perspective

2008-08-14T09:08:00.003-04:00

I was talking with a friend yesterday and we got on the subject of prayer and flowing in the Spirit. He said something so simple and yet huge – “When I pray, I try to pray from God’s perspective on the situation…”. Now, you are probably thinking, well duh! When I first heard him make that statement I didn’t think much about it either but after we unpacked it, the hugeness of that “simple” blurb exploded in my spirit.

I began to ponder the day-to-day life of the average Christian from God’s perspective, asking myself “How does God see this and how does God see that”… I realized that all-to-often the prayers of the saints are born from our very limited human perspective, producing VERY limited results. The Bible is full of stories about great works of God taking place when men and women were lined-up with God’s agenda (perspective).

If we would take the time to see the situation (whatever it may be) as God sees it and then pray and/or act according to His perspective, WOW! One thing I know for certain, God would be glorified! His name would once again be known throughout the land, His marvelous works would testify of His goodness and mercy. We wouldn’t have to spend our energy “defending Him” – if we are honest, we are not really defending Him as much as we are defending our own reputations and that of our home team…I could spend a long time camped here on this subject but let’s stick to the bigger point and leave this discussion for another day.

I know for certain that when we have God’s perspective for any situation, we will be moved with compassion and do what we see our Father in heaven doing – we would actually walk as Jesus walked...

Time for a new bracelet - WAJW.

Wag

It’s The Truth, God Only Accepts Hymns!

2008-08-11T11:03:00.001-04:00

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:30

I hope that I grabbed your attention with the title – Lol! There is great debate regarding this subject, especially here in the south.

I have known the Lord for more than 14 yrs. now and I have heard numerous times that the only true offering of worship is in the form of "hymns" meaning, those songs which are found in the "Hymnal". Well, this morning as I was reading in the book of Matthew, I came across the word HYMN – I don’t know why I haven’t seen it before but I saw it today as clear as could be. They sang a hymn… as I looked at the word hymn I realized not only that hymns are Biblical but that they were here way before KJV was even a thought. Then I noticed something even more incredible… Jesus was right there with the disciples singing a hymn to His Father – WOW!

Right then and there I realized that I can no longer speak of “hymns” as just some antiquated form of worship and that all “hymnals” should be tossed in the dump because they are not for today! I’ll get back to this in a second…

The question which needs to be asked and answered is this – What is a hymn? Well, a hymn is a song, ode or poem delivered in honor of God or a song of celebration, joy and praise to God.

Honor – 1. the esteem due or paid to worth 2. any expression of respect or of high estimation by words or actions 3. exalted rank or place; distinction 4. reverence; veneration or any act by which reverence and submission are expressed, as in worship paid to God
Praise – 1. to commend, applaud or to express admiration 2. to extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify 3. to express personal gratitude

Well, there you have it – hymns should be part of the everyday Christian walk, I’m still not convinced that we should keep the “Hymnals” but I am convinced that we should give great honor to God and celebrate Him with as much praise as we can even as Jesus did. Hey, we ware the bracelets, hats, shirts and bumper stickers asking the question WWJD? Well, in this small piece of scripture we know beyond a shadow-of-doubt that one thing He did was, sing hymns to His Father…

Wag

I'm Sorry!

2008-08-07T11:04:00.002-04:00

I wrote this blog some time ago but in light of my last post, I felt compelled to post it again here...

To all survivors of - 9/11; hurricane Katrina; the tsunami; the war on terror; the Amish slayings and most recently, the Carolina beach fire.

To the homosexual community.

To those whose innocence was stolen while abused at the hand of those who were called to show the way.

To those who have been judged instead of supported with grace.

To single moms who have been shunned instead of girded.

To the many other groups and/or individuals I have not mentioned here by name...

I'M SORRY!

Let me explain, I am a Christian leader and I have been very frustrated for some time about comments and protests that have been made "in the name of God" by those of the Christian faith who claim to represent Him in the vocational capacity. I am not going to name any certain group, individual or denomination as that would simply add to the problem. I must also confess that in the past, I too have made judgments and held to certain opinions that I am now ashamed of.

In my frustration I have said many times… "When are we (Christian leaders) going to shut up about 'God's judgments' and tell of His love and acceptance when it comes to tragedy's" (natural or caused by man). I feel so hurt, ashamed and sad every time that some "pastor" or group of "Christian protestors" stands by and boldly proclaims that the reason for any of these events (esp. those mentioned above) is because God is mad at our sin and has unleashed His fury upon certain groups of people as a result.

I am not trying to promote anything with this letter other than to say that GOD IS NOT MAD AT YOU, HE LOVES YOU AND HE WANTS YOU!

To any who will read this and say, "Yea right, I've heard this before"… unfortunately, you're right and again – I'M SORRY!

I simply ask that you would not hold God accountable for any of these tragedies and especially for the misrepresentation of Him, by His servants. We are only human and full of sin like everybody else. Please reconsider your opinion of the God who loves you enough that He sent His only Son to die on your behalf so that you could be forgiven and find love, hope, freedom, wholeness and purpose!

God loves you and so do I!

I hate to use a title, but I want to close with mine so that you will know that not all Christians or pastors hate you or agree with the hurtfully wrong things said in the past days, months and years…

In His love,
pastor Adam

God's judgement could not be withheld...WHAT!?

2008-08-07T10:36:00.001-04:00

When I hear people saying things like "God's wrath or judgment" I get so frigg'n frustrated. I know some of you will get mad at me just for using the word frigg'n - deal with it! The issue at hand is much greater than a simple slang word.

I won't reveal the ministry by name as it doesn’t matter, the reality is - we can cut and paste any number of different ministry names into this slot, sadly, we can often paste the name "Christianity" in.

Back to my thought - recently this particular ministry released a "word" and this is a sample of what was said: "...the scales of sin and judgment were full – so full that judgment could not be withheld over San Francisco." It seems that every time there is some major event (hurricane, earthquake, fire, flood, etc.) the Church is quick to give God the credit, the problem with that is...God's judgment upon sin has already been handed down at the cross, sin's debt has been covered.

Personally, I have nothing against the ministry which made this statement; in fact, I support most of what they are about. However, if I was living in the Bay Area (BTW, I grew up there and I am well aware of the mindset concerning Christianity) and living separated from God, would this boldly stated "prophecy" invite me into relationship with God or chase me further away?

I may be completely wrong here, but I believe the Church is to be THE agent--the only agent--of invitation but all-to-often we are better at causing greater alienation...

This is just my heart lately - it has nothing to do with any one person, denomination or specific ministry. I am simply adjusting my own thinking to fit better into the mind of God, whose views are far greater than mine; whose heart for the people of San Francisco is full of love, compassion and desire...

Wag

and so it begins...

2008-08-06T15:42:00.000-04:00

Other than a few myspace blogs (do they even really count?), this is the my first blog. It won't be long as I have used up my time just setting the thing up - Lol!

As I get a feel for blogging, I hope to get my many daily thoughts into brief writings and so it begins...

Wag