Blubberings and Blatherings

Which gospel? Oh! That one...

2010-12-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

"The gospel is not the imitation of Christ; it is the implantation and impartation of Christ. We are call to do more than mediate truth. We are called to manifest Jesus' presence."
Jesus Manifesto, Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

When I read this, I struggled with it and then became surprised as to how much I have been unrealizing what the gospel meant to me. What has it meant all these years? Is it Redemption? Grace? Obedience? Salvation? Ransom? Christlikeness? Relationship with God? Gift? Sacrifice?

The answer is YES! And then some! But, if all I can do with the gospel is to imitate Jesus, is that a cheap Gospel? Is that truly waht Jesus wants us to do? Just be like Him? I think now that that is an incomplete gospel! If Jesus is not living in me, which gives true meaning to my obedience, faith, Christlikeness, relationship to God, salvation, what is He to me? Just someone to emulate? If Jesus is not living in me, what is the point?

I will never be able to completely be like Jesus in what I say and do!

Can I love like Jesus did?
Can I forgive like Jesus did?
As Sweet and Viola say,

"Always turn the other cheek?
Always walk the second mile?
Always love your enemies?
Never think an unsanctified thought?
Never even have a hint of a pity party?
Always be prepared to give a 'word in season'?"

No! But isn't that why He IS living in me!? That is why I CAN become more Christlike each day! Because His presence in my life MAKES me this way!

"PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!!!"

This is not a cheap Gospel, this Gospel cost the King of Kings His life! So that He might live in us...righteous deeds saturated like filthy rags, prayers saturated with sinfulness, my repentance saturated with self-righteousness...yeah that's me! And He desires His presence so much He would die for that presence, that kind of life, that kind of change and transformation!

"PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!"

I want to be first...no me...no ME!!

2009-10-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

I am totally blown away at the moment! Maybe it's just me. And I do get "blown away" a lot! LOL Anywho, our culture is all about being first. First at football, win the big trophy. My team is better than yours! I conducted the funeral of a very precious lady the other day...she was a good grandmother! My grandmother is better than yours! My kid knows how to count and say his ABC's and can hit a baseball without a tee...my kid is better than yours! It seems everytime I turn around this concept of "being first" has invaded our thinking and culture and even religion!

What about being second? Is there something wrong with being second? In most competitions, second never does get the GOOD stuff nor the GOOD money or even the vaunted reputation that the blue ribbon winner gets! Think of some good second-placers...or can you? Greg Norman, Scottie Pippen, (I can hardly remember any!), ummm....I mean really, that is my point they're just forgettable!

But, I have something for you today! I have a paradigm shift in heart, thought and life, are you willing to be second to God? Are you willing to step aside and say, "You know what God YOU are first and I am second. I don't deserve to be first." Very interesting isn't it?

Jesus would say, "I am among you as one who serves." And we are to be Chrsit-like in EVERYWAY? Oh yeah, not even a hint of our own needs and desires!

I leave you with this: Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford, brothers in Christ, champions on the football field and SECOND TO THE LORD! Are we willing to do the same as these young men?

Check it out: iamsecond.com

Passing it on....

2009-09-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

I came to a realization last night as I was getting into bed for the evening. I had just come from my son's room, he sleeps on our old queen mattress, which needless to say, is a huge bed for him. He was laying perpendicular to the way the bed was. It was really cute...so I kissed him on the cheek, turned him around and covered him up with the blankets.
As I was returning to our room, I came to an interesting thought. What am I trying to pass on to my kids? I know that I am only 34 (young in years, I know), but I have a unique understanding of my own mortality. What am I going to give to my legacy? What can give to them that will help them be God's person?
Deuteronomy 6:6-9-"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."
What am I to impress upon my children so that they may understand the true nature of God? Maybe it is easy to say harder to do.
Galatians 5:22-23 comes to mind. If I want my children to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, don't I want them to have the Spirit? Am I really passing on the Spirit of God? I am actually trying to teach and impress and share and mold my children to have THE Spirit?
Yes! HOLY MOLY! I am talking, spanking, disciplining, shaping, loving, sacrificing, crying, praying and a wealth of other verbs so that my children will have God's Spirit in their hearts one day? That is amazing! That is inspiring! That is humbling! What an awesome legacy! Quite the revelation for me this morning...

New things...

2009-08-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the world "communion" appears nowhere in the English NIV text? Now, the words "fellowship" and "participation" are together found a lot in the NIV text in the Old Testament and New Testament. Of course, you have words that come out of "communion" such as "union", "commune" and "commUNITY" with a little stretch...LOL
Anywho, these words fellowship and participation must be thought of when describing what we call The Lord's Supper. Not only does Jesus "commune" with and "host" such an event, we do the same as brothers and sisters as "participants" in this Lord's Supper. We are not the host, but we do serve just as Jesus serves/participates.
As participation occurs, that means we also SHARE this meal together. This means therefore that we SHARE Christ as host/server/fellow participant of this same meal. Jesus makes this very clear in the Last Supper..."this is my body(bread)...this is my blood(cup)"...what does this "sharing" mean? It means together, talking, singing, praying, "partnering", joyous sharing with each other, JESUS! How can you "participate" or partner with some one if you don't spend time speaking to them? How can you know who they truly are? How can you be involved with someone if you keep to yourself and not share yourself? How can Jesus be host/particpant/server to people who don't have a relationship with each other?
In my opinion, the Lord's Supper we SHARE today is NOT a participation or a partaking of each other, it is a participation in individuality and self-piety and solemn attitude of guilt and shame. It is certainly NOT a joyous occassion...it is rote and too ritualized to make any sense of "fellowship" one with another. And yes there are times for such attitudes as guilt, shame, confession, repentance, but not at the "Table"! Additionally, we may be sharing spiritually and by ourselves, but this Lord's Supper Table was never supposed to be about the "individual"...it is about the "community" of God's people.
If you look back at OT times and focus on their altars and mealtimes, you see a contrast...the altar is serious, meant for penance and consecration. The mealtimes or "tables" are meant for celebration and joy! We don't come to an altar when we eat the Lord's Supper, we come to a TABLE! It is to be joyous, celebratory, community participating and partaking one with the other, together...
I will bring more to you later as I learn more and struggle more with such topics...this is my next sermon series and trust me when I say I will struggle because this is not what I was taught growing up either...pray that I can "Preach the Word--being prepared in season and out of season; correcting, rebuking, and encouraging--with great patience and careful instruction"....

Softie...

2009-04-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just me...I am sure that it isn't, but youcan tell me if I am alone on this or not.

I AM A SOFTIE!! I am not sure I even spelled that right! Anywho, I feel like a part of my manliness (if I had any) is gone! Maybe I am being too harsh on myself! And you do realize it is going to do nothing but get worse. Part of me says "It's okay. You will survive!" I don't know, I am worried about all this though. However touching it may be, I feel lost in a sea of captivation and contentment and unceasing love all at the same time. Let me show what I am talking about...

Now, do you see? Can you really understand? I know, I know every parent is biased about THEIR children and I do get that. But let me ask you a question...Isn't God wonderful? There is nothing bad about what He gives to us and what He does for us! Our children are joyous and rotten and exciting and just plain DREAMY! And I don't care if you call me a SOFTIE or MUSHY because our children are perfect gifts from Heaven above! Live life and live it well because of the GOOD that God gives to us! You only have one shot at your children and one shot at life!!

Religious Evasion...

2009-04-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

"There is very little time and occasion for openness in most of our gatherings because we fear it. We think it may lead to confrontation, anger, and divisiveness. We are not open because we fear what others will think of us and do to us. If we honestly compared the amount of time in church spent thinking about what others think or might think with the amount of time spent thinking about what God is thinking, we would probably be shocked."

Often the 'eyeservice" that occurs in present-day church services comes in the form of trying to "move" people. "Wasn't that a great service," we often say. But what do we mean? Are we really thinking of how God felt about the service? What is the correlation between God's view of a great service and the human view? At this stage does the phrase, "Truly, truly they have their reward" apply to us?"

"Maybe the words of Ezekiel might ring true for us...

Everyone is talking about you all the time. They say, "Come and let's hear what the word is from the Lord." And they sit befor you as my people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them. For their mouths talk devotion but their hearts seek wicked gains. Why, you are just like one who sings about love with a beautiful voice and a well-played instrument. They hear what you are saying, but do not do it." Ezekiel 33:31-32

Adapted from The Divine Conspiracy

Are we seeking human approval or God's? Are we comfortable where we are and with what we do? Are we making sure we get it RIGHT in our eyes? or God's?

Tell me what you think...

Are you the problem? Good, cause it ain't me...

2009-02-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

"Heaven has forgiven people in it. Hell has forgiven people in it."

What do you think of that comment?

I like it, matter of fact I believe it and will stand by it. Simply on the basis of the idea that this is the true essence of the God that we worship, question, have faith in, revere, serve... Is it really needed to understand the nature of the one true God? It is needed for us to just comprehend that He is LOVE? Let's not forget that He is also a just God, but that He is righteous in that sentencing of justice!! But, can we just go on with knowing the fact that God LOVES us that much and that His forgiveness reaches that far? Jonah didn't think so. You know that Jonah KNEW that God would forgive the Ninevites? That is why he ran. That is why he was afraid, because he KNEW that God is "compassionate and slow to anger and abounding in love..."So what is the problem?

The problem is our choice! We choose heaven or hell! We choose...the reason I know that is because God wants EVERYONE to repent! He waits patiently for it!! Only love will break the hard at heart.We are not perfect people, just worship a forgiving, jealous, just and loving God!

Just taking a commercial break...

2009-01-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

Tell me what you think of this...

"Biblically, there is nothing more detestable than a self-righteous disciple. He is so swollen with conceit that his mere presence is unbearable. However, a nagging question arises. Have I so insulated myself in a fortified city of rationalizations that I cannot see that I may not be as different from the self-righteous as I would like to think?
The following scenario plays in my imagination:
A humble woman seeks me out because of my vaunted reputation as a spiritual guide. She is simple and direct:
"Please teach me how to pray."
Tersely, I inquire, "Tell me about your prayer life."
She lowers her eyes and says contritely, "There's not much to tell. I say grace before meals."
Haughtily, I reply, "You say grace before meals! Isn't that nice, Madam. I say grace upon waking and before retiring, and grace again before reading the newspaper and turning on the television. I say grace before ambulating and meditating, before the theater and the opera, before jogging, swimming, biking, dining, lecturing, and writing. I even say grace before I say grace."

That night soggy with self-approval, I go before the Lord.
And He whispers, "You ungrateful turd. Even the desire to say grace is itself My gift."

Discipline of Grace Chapter 3...

2009-01-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

PREACH THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF EVERY DAY!

First, before you read this 3rd part of this blog you must read Romans 3:19-26...you must read it at least twice and then pray about it and then read it again! Seriously! DO IT! DOO IT!

Alright, did you read it? Ok, here goes...

"It is not our contrition or sorrow for our sin, it is not our repentance, it is not even the passing of a certain number of hours during which we feel we are on some kind of probation that cleanses us. It is the blood of Christ, shed once for all on Calvary 2000 years ago but appropriated daily or even many times a day, that cleanses our consciences and gives us a renewed sense of peace with God."

"To preach the gospel then to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life. It means that you appropriate, again by faith, the FACT that Jesus FULLY satisified the law of God, that He is your propitiation, and that God's holy wrath is no longer directed toward you!"

"Therefore there is now NO condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus!"

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

Now answer the question, "Why do I keep doing it wrong all the time? Why can't I quit? Why can't I stop? How can I stop? Our goal is "preach the gospel to ourselves" EVERYDAY!

Hallelujah! What a Savior!!

The Discipline of Grace...

2008-12-11T08:08:00.000-08:00

Okay the 2nd Chapter of this book...

He has discussed self-righteousness in this chapter, see what you think...

"I am patient with you because I love you and want to forgive you.

I am kind to you because I love you and want to help you.

I do not envy your possessions or your gifts because I love you and want you to have the best.

I do not boast about my attainments because I love you and want to hear about yours.

I am not proud because I love you and want to esteem you before myself.

I am not rude becuse I love you and care about your feelings.

I am not self-seeking because I love you and want to meet your needs.

I am not easily angered by you because I love you and want to overlook your offenses.

I do no keep a record of your wrongs because I love you, and 'love covers a multitude of sins'."

Is there any room for self-righteousness in the light of this practical standard of love?

Now think of this one,

"Believers obey Christ as the one by whom our obedience is accepted by God. Believers know all their duties are weak, imperfect and unable to abide in God's presence. Therefore, they look to Christ as the one who bears the iniquity of their holy things, who adds incense to their prayers, gathers out all the weeds from their duties and makes them acceptable to God."

Even our own GOOD performance needs repentance and cleansing!! Even your best stuff is in need of the Grace of God! WOW! Let that sink in for a little while and tell me what you think...

Love ya!

How Good Is Good Enough?

2008-12-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

This quote was taken from Jerry Bridges book called "The Discipline of Grace"...

"We know, of course, how central the forgiveness of our sins is to salvation. We preach it, we believe in it. We see that first repentance and surrender to Christ as a glorious moment. We also accept that having come to the Lord, we continue to purify our lives. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. But in talking with many believers, I get the imprssion that most of us consider the on-going repentance of the saved as a not-so-glorious experience. A sort of sad necessity.

Sin grieves God. We must not down-play the seriousness of it in the life of a believer. But we must come to terms with the fact that God's Grace is GREATER THAN ALL OUR SINS. Repentance is one of the Christian's highest privileges. A repentant Christian focuses on God's mercy and God's grace. Any moment in our lives when we bask in God's mercy and grace is our highest moment. Higher than when we feel smug in our decent performance and cannot think of anything we need to confess.

Whenever we fail--and fail we will, the Spirit of God will work on us and being us to the foot of the cross where Jesus carried our failures. That is potentially a glorious moment. For we could at that moment accept God's abundant Mercy and Grace and go forth with nothing to boast of except Christ Himself, or else we struggle with our shame, focusing on that as well as our track record. We fail because we shifted our attention from Grace and Mercy. One who draws on God's Mercy and Grace is quick to repent, but also slow to sin."

How awesome is this? I don't know why, but I have never really thought about it this way...It should be a glorious thing when take ourselves out of the picture, admit where we stand and completely rely on the mercy and grace of God...not only do we need this as individuals, but as "church"!

If only, if only...

My vote counts? Really?

2008-11-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

"I pray with every fiber of my being that your children and ours all grow to be the Christians that God wants them to be. Unfortunately though Socialism is socialism no matter how it is sugar coated and it affects EVERYONE. I will be able to stand face to face with God on the day of judgement though and tell him that I stood up for him by casting my vote in this election and I will continue to stand up for God and his teachings until I see him face to face."

I am really concerned about this particular message that I received the other day. Although I am aware that socialism in and of itself is not good, it holds no true meaning for me, my family and my children. But to say that I am not being "Godly" or being unsupportive of God because I did not vote is a ludacris and obscene gesture and minimizes faith and passion for God. To say to someone that they were not doing their "Christian-duty" by not voting just baffles me. Why?

I think about the times when people had to proclaim emperor-deity and "Ceasar is Lord" and were tied between 2 stacks of meat so that dogs could devour them, or have their bodies boiled in oil or whatever...all for the entertainment of the emperor and his "coliseum crowd" of followers. These Christians proclaimed Diety in God and God alone! We in America are nowhere near that!! And if we were, who would be the first to claim YAHWEH as Lord and Savior? I hope and pray that we all would...

So...I need to give proof that I am a Christian within my vote? Please, spare of the self-righteous, pious attitude that claims "you-better-vote-or-you-are-going-to-burn-in-Hell" mentality or spirituality! God doesn't care about your vote...He cares about your heart! He cares whether you love Him more than anything else...

Yes I want my children to grow up and be responsible citizens in a "free" country...but that is the whole point isn't it? We were not meant to be here in the first place! We are meant to be with God...The "Christ-followers country" is bought, paid for, and citizenship is inherited by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Just spend some time reading Hebrews 11..."Instead, they were LONGING for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

Where is what?

2008-11-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

I love this yearbookyourself.com! It makes me think of my teenage days and all those memories...

I have really been reflective lately...I know, to think of me as a thinker is funny! But sometimes I do and it becomes really scary! I don't remember a whole lotta stuff from my younger years. There are some family things that will always stay with me and memories of stuff that you would like to forget, but I understand the "as-you-get-older-the-years-go-faster" thought! It makes you realize what is truly important in this life.

I am having trouble remembering when Connor was learning to turn over on his tummy! I mean it just flies by so fast! Adria and I were talking the other day and we realized we could hardly remember what it was like to NOT have children! Although beautiful and fun and adventuresome as they are, we try and remember those special times we had in Paris or Vienna or Munich or Szolnok. Wonderful places to be and people to be with! Oh the memories!

David says to us,

"Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath...My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken...O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water...Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands."

Take the time today to learn what is truly important to you. Just sit, relax and while the children are in bed tonight and just listen to God. He is there...your life is fleeting away...BUT He is always with you! Realize that it is Him through your wonderful memories that He is there and He loves you!

Where's the love?

2008-10-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have been caught off guard with the newest book and class I am teaching here at Bypass. I have long tried to understand this, all of this. Maybe I am just behind on some things. LOL Anyways, I have come to discover the Story that God has laid before me. The Story continues and it is beautiful and lovely and unimaginable. The joy of marriage, the sadness of pain in that same marriage, the blessings of cute, cuddly children that are angelic in their desire to love you unconditionally, when you feel most of the time you don't deserve that, all of these things are the Romance. The Sacred Romance. The Romance that began many years ago, when years weren't years, and time had no beginning. The Romance that speaks to mankind through our times, experiences, our downfalls, pains, sorrows and joys. With a whisper, God says ever so quietly, "I have loved you from the beginning and will NEVER stop loving you." God speaks to us loudly sometimes, and says "Look, it is my Son and I give Him for you because I want you back WITH Me forever."

Don't think that God is not speaking to you today...He is and He wants you to see Him in all that you have, all that you do, all that is a part of you. Yes, the flat tires, the bounced checks, the cancer, the sexual struggles and disappointments, all lead to God's heart for you and you alone. He seeks and asks nothing less from you than your heart, and draws closer to you, haunts with His desire to have you near Him. Yes, we are seeking God...but He is seeking us in all the mundanity of life's struggles and joys! All you have to do is find Him and it starts today, right now.

Read Ephesians 1...and discover the Story and Romance of God Almighty...have a blessed day!

Just trying it out....

2008-10-16T14:21:00.001-07:00

I went fishing today! It was fun...caught a fair share of fishyes! I know it is spelled wrong...have some fun!! Anywho, you ever wonder what it feels like to be caught hook-line-and-sinker?

Imagine you are the large mouth bass that just got caught swimming around in your home. You woke up had a great breakfast of algae, maybe a mudbug, if you were really hungry for breakfast. Then as you try to clean around the house, you see a strange site at first, then it really captures your eye...is it food or an intruder? So you swim over reluctantly, you see it...it is FOOD! As your morning as passed you had gotten hungry from your work around the house and there is some free, floating, moving, jerking, dropping temptuous black lizard food within the grasp of your finely tuned mouth and senses. So you lunge for it, not to eat, but to see how it responds, you play with your food, you love it, bump it, squeeze it...it moves away from you. Hey, I am hungry and you move away from me? Come back here! You lunge with full-open and outright swallowing power and something gets stuck in your lip or your tongue...it doesn't matter, it freggin hurts! It tugs on you, swim away! It tugs again, your lip is about to yank off! Why am I going to the surface of the water? To ease the pain, you swim to the surface and jump out of your home! I think I knew this was up here, but I forgot what it looked like! And oh my, I can't breathe as well up here! What is that thing floating above the water? Get this hook outta my LIP! You swim back down fast, but the pulling continues...you become tired from the workout and end up getting tugged out of your living room...Flopping and flopping, you see this ugly thing look you in the eye with such elation and joy and happiness! As you struggle to breathe, the ugly thing that pulled the hook out of your lip, puts you into another home, that is a lot cleaner and better until some of your friends and relatives start arriving in your new home!

The great thing about catching fish is the fact that God WANTS us to ENJOY his creation, His SPOKEN-INTO-EXISTENCE Creation!! It is wonderful to see that we can experience even God talking to us through His beautifully-crafted Nature! God does not and will not create anything bad! That is why he made you, YOU and no one else like YOU. Understand His beauty and passion in YOU, decide that YOU are HIS and HE is YOURS, share with HIM who YOU are, because after all, aren't we all HIS anyways?

Have a great day and a wonderful week!!