Thursday, 29 May 2008

Last night our church started a biweekly outdoor movie night.  Free Market Jesus by Donald Miller was the first flick.  I liked it and am still digesting some of the content.  The main point went something like Jesus is not a product to fix you and me.  He loves us and will change us to the extent that we follow Him.

Monday, 05 May 2008

I just finished Organic Church by Neil Cole.  It is an outstanding book which speaks to what I have been hearing and seeing from many very different places; go into all the world and make disciples.  Neil tells a powerful story of a small church church started by his daughter , 15, and her friends.  After they had been meeting for a few months he visited them and saw a great church.  He ask everyone what other churches they had been to and they were mega-churches or Godzilla churches as he called them.  He ask how many feel they could start a Godzilla church and no one raised their hand, but when he ask who thought they could start a church like they were in all hands were raised.  He then made a powerful observation, “This scares the devil to death”.

This story made me question two things.  First is why do we set the bar for fulfilling the great commission so high by imposing a man made goal of getting people to come to our traditional churches?  We are told that those in darkness will not come into the light because they fear it so should we not follow the example of Jesus and take the light into the darkness?  The second question is what is keeping me from fulfilling the great commission? 

My prayer is that I will follow the Lord in such a way as my actions will result in, 18 Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Listen, I have given you power to walk on snakes and scorpions, power that is greater than the enemy has. So nothing will hurt you. 20 But you should not be happy because the spirits obey you but because your names are written in heaven.”, Luke 10.

Sunday, 04 May 2008

What do I believe and what actions do those beliefs drive?

1. I believe an ice cream cone will melt fast on a hot day -> so I eat it fast or stay inside until it is eaten.
2. I believe in gravity -> I do not step off of tall buildings
3. I believe fire is hot -> I will not grab the flaming end of a stick in the fire
4. I believe God loves me so much He sent Jesus to die for my sins -> what behavior should this drive?

Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Lectionary Thoughts on Acts 17.22-31: What did Paul think of his preaching in Acts? « Ramblings from Red Rose

Today I read from Acts and 1Corinthians.

If you follow the link above you will see Will’s post and my comment below.

I am very bad about wanting to study rather than doing.  It comes more naturally and is less risky to my pride.  I think Jesus picked fishermen instead of church scholars so they would have less of a tendency to analyze and would be more likely to get to it.  Lord, please help me to “Just do it” more often.

Yes, I realize the irony of drawing that comclusion from the theological disection of scriptures.

Friday, 18 April 2008

I read Psalm 104 and “Organic Church”

Today I must wait on the Lord.  (Psalm 27:14)

I must wait on the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 1:4)

I must wait so I do not leave Jesus waiting for me.

Lord, God, Father, Creator, Light, please take our strength and replace it with yours; please send your Spirit to us that we may follow you;  Please live in us.

Tuesday, 15 April 2008

THE CROSS, 1 John 3:16

How do I build a heart of love?

First I must empty the heart I have.

Anger and hate must yield to forgiveness,

but where do I find forgiveness?

JESUS

Next I must find love to fill this empty heart.

I can not produce love as it is not of man,

so where do I find love?

            JESUS

Now my heart is full of love.

What do I do this feeling is new,

I seek an example what do I find?

                JESUS

 

 

Saturday, 12 April 2008

Today I did a lot of jumping around in the bible.  I have been looking for trailmarkers if you will. Below is what I found.  Please forgive the long post.  All verses come from Bible Gateway and are New Century Version.

 

Love your neighbor

Mark 12: 29 Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘Listen, people of Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’^[a] 31 The second command is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’^[b] There are no commands more important than these.”

Go out – Make disciples

Mathew 28:19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Why:  because I love them and so should you

Ephesians 1:5 Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him,6 and it brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves.7 In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God’s grace,8 which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with full wisdom and understanding,9 let us know his secret purpose. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ.10 His goal was to carry out his plan, when the right time came, that all things in heaven and on earth would be joined together in Christ as the head.

Remember who we are fighting

Ephesians 6:12 Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.

We must be on the offensive: go to them

John 3:20 All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light, because it will show all the evil things they do.

If we love God then we do what He says

Ephesians 2:2 Yes, in the past you lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God.

Remember, God planned this

Ephesians 2:8 I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.9 It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.

 

Friday, 11 April 2008

I read Psalm 104 again and more from “Organic Church”

I struggled with being a servant today.  Jesus modeled putting the needs of others (all humanity) first in the most extreme way (on the cross).  John tells us what love is in 1 John 3:16, “This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

With Jesus as the standard I really stink when I get frustrated at my wife for being “needy” at times.  God forgive me for my actions and attitudes.  Please give me the heart and mind of your Son.  Lord I beg for awareness of your grace and peace.  Abba Father, thank you.

Please bless Jim, Jay, Calvin, Kevin, and your church today with eyes open to see your love.

Friday, 04 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 101 aloud and from “Organic Church”

I am not always brave and bold.  I profess to believe in the Godhead and His power, but I do not act like it a lot of the time.  Cole tells a story of a drug addict that can not stay off drugs even after becoming a christian.  His suggestion to the addict was to share Jesus with his dealer.  That is bold.  That is trust in the power of Jesus.

Lord forgive me for being a coward.

Jim, you are an inspiration to me the way you keep getting up when satan steals your bracelet.  God give you peace.

Easter 2008

Today I read Psalm 88 aloud and the resurrection story form the Gospels.

The story of the tomb struck me differently this time.  The stone and the emptiness of the tomb struck me.  What was in the tomb?  Jesus’ body and then an angel were the physical presences, but the promise and reality of everlasting life was what the tomb actually contained.  The stone separated the women from realizing this promise.  It still separates us from claiming the promise as the stone was/is too big to be moved by us (Mark 16:3) and it must be supernaturally moved.  What is my stone is the question that comes to my mind.  What is standing in the way or keeping me from moving off the porch and through the door of faith?

Lord, Please make me aware of what is standing in the way of faith today.

The other thing that stood out is the state of mind the of the women as they went to the disciples, “with fear and great joy”, Mathew 28:8.  I often feel like I / we have lost our fear.  I will not deal with this now, but I wanted to capture the thought.

Be blessed today with fear and great joy.