Time To Start Living It - Follow Up (1985)

This is a perfect follow up from my previous post. It is a good reminder. We are not dealing with a new problem but it is a problem we have yet to deal with...This is from 1985 yet its words ring true. I beg for this to be heard and understood. In myself and my fellow followers of Jesus. What does it take for change to occure and action to speak louder then words and study?

The Book of Eli - Time to Start Living It

I recently saw two movies, The Book of Eli and Avatar. Both gave me many thoughts to ponder on but for this post I will just be talking about “The Book of Eli”. I know there are many out there who have not seen this film so don’t worry, I am not going to give away the ending. My thoughts won’t give much away; it just might give you some pre knowledge to what is going on.

Well as most can tell from the previews, this movie portrays a time in earths future were there is no government, the climate has shifted and everything is a dessert waste land with a fend for yourself society. The hero of the story, Eli (played be Denzel Washington) is seen traveling across the wasteland. You find out early on that he is caring a large book; this book turns out to be a bible, the only Bible in existence. After the war that caused the great climate change all the bibles were destroyed because many blamed the Bible or those that followed it for the war. So the character Eli is struggling to take the Bible west, where exactly, he does not know, but he knows that his purpose is to protect this Bible. He also states, and his shows, that he reads the Bible every night.

In the first part of the movie as the plot is being set Eli stumbles on to a robbery murder of some helpless travelers by a gang of thugs. He watches from above as the man is murdered and the women is raped and then murdered, all the time repeating to himself as he clutches the Bible close to his chest something like, “Keep Focused, this is not your fight, keep moving” (not an exact quote but the idea). Using these words be convinces himself to stand by and watch as these murders occur, believing it is his calling to protect this Bible above all else. Well the movie moves on, and it was a good movie, but near the end Eli makes a statement as he is remembering his journey. He says that he been so focused on protecting the Bible that he had forgotten to live by what it said. WOW! That statement jumped out to me like being hit with a ton of bricks. My first thought was “Wow, God that is me. I have been so consumed with doing my “Calling” in church and “protecting” what I think the Bible teaches church should be that I had forgotten to really live by what it says as I seek to fulfill my calling. (Please note my first thought was a personnel conviction before I expanded on it) But then I took it further…

I thought that this is my church, or many times “The church”. We spend our time fighting to protect our prefect theology (That we believe is perfectly accurate) and teaching each other and ourselves all about what the Bible says so we are “Strong”, “grounded” Christians defending our faith. Doing all this sitting in our chairs, services, meetings, and Sunday school classroom while the world around us is being murdered and raped by each other and the devil himself, the one we are supposedly fighting against.

I found my self just sitting and thinking about this. I was and am sad as I reflect and must embrace this reality. Yet I am frozen in my chair, more frozen then before because I am not sure what action to take. I am torn between two worlds but in my heart I know these worlds should not be torn. I am torn because I believe the church is “the hope of the world” and the church has the power to change the world in the name and message of Jesus Christ. Yet I feel trapped in that same organization, in a good and bad way. I can’t leave it because I know it is ordained and called by God and I know my calling is to be in it and to work through it. That is my calling (not to calling of everyone as it is for me). But as I walk through the doors now I can’t help but feel like there is something dead and I am trapped in continuing on as is with no hope in sight of it being any different in my or my world around me. Also trapped because I feel if I speak up about what I see I am perceived as the critical jerk who is not a “team player”.

Do we, Christians, see the world that is being murdered and raped, and are we watching it while sitting in our classes to teach theology and create “growth”. Growth? Growth to do what? Growth to go from class 101 to 201 to class 301? Don’t get me wrong I love learning, I love teaching and I love being a part of that but what is it leading to? What is the point of all the teaching and listening if we grow only to teach each others already in our churches and to start a new class to teach other Christians what we know? When will we be called to take action by the teachings and those teaching it? When will we be called to more by our own leaders who tell us to grow? When will they lead us into action, even by example? (This is also a question I am putting to myself as I struggle through this)

Yes, I am left with more questions and more discouragement then I had at the beginning. But it is in times of disparity that God meets us as we are humbled by our failures and mistakes. But I am crying out saying “God wake more people up! I am tired of feeling helpless to be a part of change that really matters. God I am, right now, tried of it all as I see it happening week in and week out. I am tired the most of what I am see in me!”

I hear the author of “From Good to Great” Say recently. The great success stories are the ones who did not wait for their leaders and coworkers to be strong and successful but worked to be strong and successful despite the failings of those under them and below them. That is the real challenge I guess. There are no excuses left to not see action in me. Now what is my action to be?

What Is Life

What is life that I try to live

For it all on my own

And what is life that I sacrifice

All the things that I should hold

What is this breath except a gift that I

Think that I should own

And who am I to try to be in control

Of more then I could ever know

So what is life except to find what’s worth dying for

And what is this hand that holds me in ways that I just can’t ignore

Even in my mind I know there must be more then I can see

So what is there to live for besides me

What are these deeds that I call good

As if I deserve something more

Is this a lie that I tell myself

To make me think that I’m in control

I give up; I can’t go on this way

I need more to live for

So I give all I have and am to You

For more then I could ever know

I see this life and it is more then I could ever dream

Here I was with the answer staring right back at me

I choose to live not for me but for the one who set me free

I know now what to live for besides me

My Friend

Are you ever in a situation when you realize you haven’t talked to a good friend in a long time or realized you have neglected someone close to you? What is your response? Do you feel awkward around your close friend the next time you see them? Do you wonder what to do? Do you wonder if you two are as close as you used to be and if they still want friendship?

I was playing on the worship team the other day and realized something was missing. I realized as I was playing and singing that I was doing something that was special and intimate with my Friend and my God yet it felt kind of awkward. I realized I had neglected my Friend and had not purposely spent time to connect with him. So now as I was doing something that was more intimate it seemed weird and I found myself wondering what to do next.

If it was, lets say Sammy (one of my best friends), I would have said “Dude we need to get together ASAP” and I would have made sure we set something up right away to re -connect. But in that moment I felt awkward and was wondering what I could do.

Why does it seem so easy with my friends on earth but so hard with my God and Friend who loves me more deeply and unconditionally then any friend I can have on this earth? Why did I wonder what to do next? When in reflection I know that my God and Friend is wanting me to come to the realization that I neglected our relationship and is asking me to just come back and hang out. Could it be that I really don’t believe or understand what it means for God to love me and want my friendship in the deep, unconditional way that he does? It so easy with my physical friend but why did it feel hard with my God?

It is because I still don’t get it. I don’t get that he is REALLY my FRIEND. That he REALLY does want my RELATIONSHIP and is not getting overly concerned like I am with what to do now. The time was not to try and “Figure it out” it was time to do what I know to do in any relationship, just go spend time in that relationship.

The thing is if I had rejected a friend and pushed him aside I could have had good reason to be worried about how he would be feeling toward me and if he feeling mad at me and even questing our friendship. But My God, the one who called me Friend before I called him one, is not their sitting and seething but he is waiting and wanting me to come to him and he wants to draw close to me. He wants me even when I have rejected him.

We have no need to be awkward with that Relationship. Yes I need to be challenged with the reality that I have neglected my God and that is wrong but I need not fear returning. I need to just return, and return with passion for renewing this friendship even more deeply and confidently then I would with my best friend on earth. God is calling me… he might be calling you right now. Relax he is not yelling. He’s just saying… “Come on, let’s hang out. I miss you? Don’t you miss me to?”

Seeks the Sick

Many of us were taught or at least in some way we have come to understand that when we are living in or struggling with sin we will find ourselves farther from Christ then when we are when we “not sinning”. (I put that in quotes because I don’t think we are ever in a place of sinlessness)

I want to share that I believe that the idea of being farther from Christ is wrong, it is a guilt driven way of thinking that permeates a false idea of Christ love and his desire and way interacting with us. I was reading an article recently that was talking about this very idea and it has inspired me and spurred me into a new approach in my relationship with my Savior when I sin and find my self feeling so disgusted with my sin. Jesus said that he came to heal the sick.

Luke 5:31-32

Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

Those that are sick, those that are struggling, those that are lost, these are the ones the Jesus came to engage with and came to visit. He came to heal. He didn’t come to just hang with the healthy but to seek those that are battling and caught in sin.

When we are battling in sin Jesus SEEKS us. He searches for us.

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.

I have found when I am battling with sin I have a tendency to avoid contact with God. Some of it out of guilt and a feeling of unworthiness but as I think about it more it is more out of a sub-conscious belief that Jesus is disgusted with me and my sin and had put distance between us. That idea is in many ways enforced by our Christian Culture. But yet Jesus comes seeking those in that place of despair and those that are so lost.

Rom 8:38-9:1

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When we sin we are convinced we are not deserving of love. But guess what, we are NEVER deserving of Christ’s love. Even in what we think are our greatest points of righteousness, we are still not worthy or deserving, we can’t earn his love. That is the power of Christ’s love. It seeks us when we would not seek it. He seeks us when we don’t deserve it. He even is pursing us more desperately when we are lost or struggling in sin. That is Christ’s love and passion of us. He came seeking healing, not seeking the healthy.

In your next struggle, battle or failure of sin be reminded with the truth, in that moment Jesus is seeking you and is coming to heal you. Instead of closing yourself off in guilt and despair invite Christ to join you in that moment. He is not disgusted with you. He is in LOVE with you. Return right then and seek him back. He is coming to heal and restore you….LET HIM!

The Song That I Sing

These are the lyrics to a song I wrote a few years ago. This song seems to echo in my heart often as I think about the meaning; what it meant to me when I wrote it and how the true it is still in my life today. I wrote from a place of feeling desperation and helplessness. Feeling that I can’t be what I am supposed to be. That I am not good enough and can’t seem to get things in order enough for people to see me for who I believed God was calling me to be. But even then I knew I couldn’t stop pursing what my hearts longed for and for what I believed passionately God had called me to.

Well, I thought I would post this and ask for thoughts. I am curious if you find meaning in this song. If it is just something that holds meaning to me and is a mess of jumbled words to the rest of us then I am cool with that. It is definitely not my most grammar friendly song.

So I am just throwing this out there and seeing what people think. Do you find meaning in the words? If so what is the meaning that speaks to you? Thanks for taking a few minutes to read, and even respond if you have a chance or thoughts on the song.

God bless!

The Song That I Sing

Here I stand again and again
Singing out that same old tune
To many words for me to recount
Yet we all can sing it to
So close you eyes and sing for the time is coming near
When what we sing will be called to be true
Can we stand on the song we've all sung
Or will the truth break us in two

I can’t seem to stop
For the words have become my life song
I know I know all there is to know
About the songs that I’ve sung
But if life must be the same as I’m singing then I’m afraid
That I won’t be all that I sing

I have sung to many things
To try to keep them all in tune
And here I am with more songs to sing
But the guilt creeps over me
But if I stop singing I know that my life
Would not be the right song
But what if my song does not sing
The way I know it should go

So I can’t bare to sing
Theses truths I’ve sung anymore
All the things I sang
I have now been called to hold
Is it even possible for me to carry this tune
But this song is what I know I should do

Who's Making It Happen?

It’s been a long time since I posted anything. Not for any good or bad reason. Just nothing I have thought I wanted to say but now might be a good time for some thoughts I have been having in my life. I was reading the book of Ruth a while back without seeking anything particular. As I read it I was impressed with seeing how God “sneaks” his plans into our lives, especially when we think we are just trying to survive with the decisions that we make. I thought of Ruth and Naomi. Both had suffered much heartache with the loss of their husbands and, for Naomi, her sons as well. Then a tough decision by Naomi to move back home and Ruth’s tougher decision to “give up” family and security to go take care of Naomi and move with her. Then reading you see this apparently random process of Ruth going to Boaz’s field. Boaz happening to notice her and then they fall in love and get married. The thing is, from what we read or the author tells us, there was little if any strategy to the decisions that were made. But yet in the marriage of Ruth and Boaz, Ruth becomes a part of the lineage of King David and the Messiah. How more “perfect” could this have worked out? How “luckier” could they have been? To me it speaks to God’s great mercy and sovereignty. How God does so many things and works so many details out and we don’t see it as him and forget to even give him the credit (I am not saying Ruth or Naomi did that). However I must ask myself who do I REALY put my trust in. Is it in my decisions or do I believe God is actively, not just taking advantage of situations, but actually causing them to bring about things that are outside of even my dreams? Boaz was outside of Ruth’s dreams but God, I believe, was active in thoughts, decisions, and actions that led them to the end of the story. I guess just something to think about. God is not just “Working things out” he is making things happen. The question for me is when he “makes something happen” I don’t like do I have enough faith in him and his will for me and life in general to trust his actions over my perspective?

The Expression of Worship

In the previous post I briefly described worship and sought to show a basic, starting point definition of worship. The discussion led itself toward the issue of music as a primary expression of worship in our churches. Al though I want to eventually discuss that more then I did in the previous posts discussion, right now I want to look at something else first.

Worship, as seen in the previous posts, is an encounter with God that is special and intimate were we bring ourselves before God and worship him for who he is because he is God.
Worship is a combination of heart and action. It is a heart of knowing who I am before God and who he is and his desire for me to worship him because he is the ONLY GOD. The actions are the expressions of worship and scripture give us many different expressions of worship.

We see these found predominantly in the words “Praise”. One thing to note is that when we see the word “Praise” used in scripture it actually has a deeper meaning each time and is translated into some form of action and command. As I have studied it more I believe praise is not a form of worship but is the expression of worship that we as humans express toward God. Here are the first two times we see praised used:
Gen 24:26-27
26 The man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 "Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives."

The word worship is the same as seen the first post. This is the intimate, encounter with God as seen also in John 4:23 (The worship The Father seeks). So scripture says he worshiped and then we see the word Praise used – This word reveals how he expressed his worship. This word praise means to bow and take a knee before God.
The other verse were we first see Praise is:
Gen 29:35
35 And she conceived again, and bare a son. And she said, This time will I praise Jehovah. Therefore she called his name Judah. And she left off bearing.

This word has completely different meaning. It is a “reverent act of worship” done with hands thrown in the air or extended in the air, also to shake the hands in the air. Sound familiar at all? Well for me I have seen people worshiping God in this manner since I was a kid. How exciting to see this is one of the earliest expressions of worship we see in the Bible.

I could go on and on exploring every time the word Praise is used in the bible, however, for the sake of time I am going to look at the book of the Bible were we see the word “Praise’ as an act of worship used the most, Psalms.
Here are the different ways praised is used in order as we see in the Book of Psalms:
1 To remember or express memory in a way of honor
2 To make music or play in a group of musicians
3 Throw hands up in reverent worship; shake hands in air
4 A structured song
5 To bless, Salute for honor or kneel to show honor

These are the first 5 found in the first 10 chapters of Psalm. You will also notice as you read Psalms that music is associated closely in the expression of these acts of worship. Music is a powerful tool in which to tunnel these expressions of worship. I believe it is important to show expression and to have a variety of expressions in our worship of God. But wow… there is so much more in just this study of our expression of worship to God. My desire was to challenge me and now maybe challenge you in your view of worship and even how you express your worship toward God. I heard a man say one time that we have to look at the Bible since the Bible is were God reveals his heart. How would you like to have spent your entire life making Carrot Cake for God only to find out he preferred Chocolate. The challenge is to explore what God reveals in his word how he desires to see us worship Him.

For Him or Me?

I had the privilege to speak at a Worship Retreat for a church in Nebraska this past weekend. I spoke on several different things and even explored several different aspects of worship but there was one that keeps standing out to me and challenges me regularly.
First even asking the question, “What is Worship” is challenging one that will have many different meanings depending on who you ask. Sadly our answers our commonly based on our own favorite personal experiences instead on what we might found biblically.
So I was challenged to ask my self what was the definition of worship.

The dictionary says this:
“giving great honor or reference to, great love and admiration, and extremely precious is the receiver (Webster)
Reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God; or an other deity, the rituals or ceremonies by which this reverence is expressed. The English word worship comes from the Old English word worthship, a word which denotes the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion.

There are several different biblical definitions when you look up the word worship in the Bible but the first two uses of the word used in the Old Testament have two different Hebrew meanings.
The first means to have a face to face, personal, encounter with God. The second means to bow and show homage to God.
Then the first use we find in the New Testament in the Gospel of John is when Jesus is describing in John 4:23 what the Father seeks.
This worship that the father seeks is an intimate encounter with God, to kiss the hand and bow low.

What I find interesting about both the dictionary and biblical seems to have a theme in common. The theme is that it is ALL about who God is and nothing about me. I am to encounter God and worship him because he is God and bow before him not to get something but to Give something.

Worship, however you might do it, is all about God. I heard a quote recently that sums it up.
To pretend homage to God and intend only the advantage to myself is rather to mock God than worship Him. When we believe we ought to be satisfied rather than God glorified, we set God below ourselves and imagine that He should submit His own honor to our advantage.
Steven Charnock Discourse IV “Practical Atheism”

Our worship of God is for God and not us. Now when we encounter God it is impossible to not get something out of this experience but to come for the experience or to let the nature of experience determine to joy or passion of our worship is to completely miss worship and it robs God of the worship he deserves.

Just something for all of us to think about. Obviously different people and people groups express worship differently but ultimately less always focus on worship itself. Let’s worship God for who he is no matter whether we may like or not like about the current conditions of the worship experience.

God bless!

Car Accident

As some of you know on January 22nd I was in a rough car accident with Joe Roraff. He was driving and I was in the passenger seat. We were hit strait on the passenger side by a Mac truck. Yes I said a Mac Truck. That is no exaggeration, as you will be able to see from the pictures.
When we were hit Joe and I both were knocked out. Joe said he woke up and when he first saw me he thought I was dead, but the he noticed I was breathing. We were taking by ambulance to Gunderson and they tool great care of us. Joe had a deflated lung and had to stay 3 nights in the hospital to have his lung re-inflated. Praise God Joe has pretty much recovered and is doing great.

I have been spending most of my time on my couch on my back. I have a lot of sore muscles and a cracked bone on my vertebra. However nothing is permanent and I am expecting to have a full recovery in over the next few months. All I can say is "Praise God!” It could have been much worse.
Well Joe and I are doing well. I hope to be back at work in a week or so and thank God Joe should be back next week. We both can't be gone for a long time. (For those who don't know Joe and I work together)

Anyways take a look at the pictures but don't worry. It looks worse then we feel. God was there and took care of us and held us close. Praise God from whom all Blessing Flow!

PS: You can see more pictures by clicking on the "My Pictures" link on the left side of the blog home page in the "Check Them Out" section.

Confronting Sin - Part 2

(Make sure you read part 1 first)

Now in confronting I am not talking about yelling and condemning. The nature of Jesus was not to condemn yet it was not to ignore sin but to while loving the sinner, confront the sin. Let’s look at a story of how Jesus handled a sinner.

John 8:7-11

"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11 "No one, sir," she said.

"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

NIV

Jesus sets up two strong examples of how to be Jesus to someone caught in sin. First Jesus did not condemn. He did not attack. The word condemn here is a root of the word punish. Jesus was not out to punish this women, and we are not to try to be the judge that punishes those that sin against us. But he still said to her “leave your life of sin”. Another version says “Go and sin no more”. Jesus does not ignore the sin. He still confronts, lovingly, but calls the life she had been living sin and said leave that life. I believe this is consistent with Mathew 18. The purpose is to win our fellow believer over from sin to righteousness. If we do not challenge each other and confront each other of sin then we are in danger of playing a part of people falling deeper into their life of sin. A sin that at one point might have only hurt a few but when escalating will hurt many more.

This is what I am seeing in our relationships today. We allow sin to occur against us and to others and refuse to address it hiding behind some false spiritual idea that Jesus did things like that. That is a lie and must end now, in all of us. It is a lie based on fear of confronting. A lie based on fear of rejection. A lie based on a fear of others response to us confronting. Fear can never be what defines and determines our actions. One of my most favorite verses in the Bible that has constantly challenged me is in 2 Timothy 1:7:

2 Tim 1:7

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Follow that with this next verse on love.

1 John 4:16-18

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

NIV

When we tell our selves that to love someone is to let their sin go and ignore their sin we ignore what real love is. Love was manifested perfectly in Jesus and in Jesus’ love He confronted sin. If you want to truly love someone, die to your fears and love by being Jesus to them in all aspects of Jesus ministry. The loving father, who does not condemn but yet, does not ignore sin. I believe we end up sinning against our brother and sisters, our friends, when we “ignore sin” or just “let it go”

I want to challenge each of you, including me to break away from this lie that I have seen driving our Christian relationships. This lie is hurting us and we don’t even see it. Please seek God on this. Challenge your thoughts and actions against is word. Not just against your personal thoughts on conflict and sin. If you truly want to be Jesus then take action to change the patterns of sin and complacency that is coming so quickly upon us.

I will end with one more verse. One many of us don’t like to hear but if you still think that you can’t confront sin because you are not to judge others. Read the verse below.

1 Cor 5:12-13

12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you.

NIV

We are not called to judge those outside of the family of God but we are called to judge each other, for two main reasons. The first being all that I have written before but the second being that eventually we have to take strong action against sin and remove it from our body if those sinning refuse to acknowledge their sin and work to change. This is even tougher but my point is to do whatever you can to not let it get to this point. Fight for each other and our relationships in the little things so we can stand strong to not get to the place when we have to deal with the big things. It is all worth it to honor Christ’s with our actions and help keep each other strong in our actions and faith.

God bless all of you!

Your Fellow Servant In Christ,

David Baxley

Confronting Sin - Part 1

Dear friends, brother and sisters in Christ,

I am writing this because I have been noticing a pattern that greatly concerns me. It is a pattern that I see hurting friendships and the ministries I see people being a part of. I have been working in ministry and with ministry people in close relationship for over ten years. I have always seen conflicts come and go but what I am starting to observe more recently really disturbs me. I am seeing people hurt on not talking about. I see people getting angry and not admitting to it. I see friends becoming bitter and not dealing with it. I am seeing people hide there emotions and feelings around some warped false idea that to be Jesus with each other means to ignore the things that people do wrong and act as if all is fine. That is not being Jesus, that is living a lie and ignoring a huge part of Jesus and his teaching on dealing with relationships and conflicts in the body of Christ.

At first I just thought that the situations were rare and unique but as I have become closer with many of those I serve with or live in fellowship with I am realizing that this blinding and ignoring of wrongs done to us and to others in the name of being Jesus is not only a false teaching but a lie form the enemy that he is and will continue to use against the body of Christ until we choose to stop it.

Lest start right from scripture:

Matt 18:15-17

15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

NIV

These words come right out of the mouth of Jesus. So it is very safe to assume that to be Jesus to each other means to follow His teaching, hence, follow this verse. The first line is where it all starts, “if your brother sins against you GO”. This to me appears as a command. Jesus says GO. He doesn’t say if you feel like it go, or if it is worth dealing with go, or if you are hurt or angry enough go. No, it says if someone sins against you go. For what purpose do you go? You go to win your brother over. You go to restore a relationship, not just between you and the person but between that person and God who they have also sinned against. You go to keep the sin from happening again.

Lets say some one I know that I am friends with is having a rough time financially. In this I realize that they stole $20 from my wallet. If they were in need that badly I would have given it to them so what is the point of addressing it, I will be Jesus to them by just letting them have it. That is what I hear so many saying. But the problem is that next week they steel $20 from someone else. Then the next week they steal from someone else. Then they end up stealing a purse or a wallet or even worse. The entire build up of sin that could lead a person to jail could have all been avoided by the first person confronting the sin that occurred. The enemy wins because I hid behind a lie that to be Jesus to them I “let sin go”. My experience with sin, and from what I see in God’s word, is that it does not just stop on its own. It usually takes a bad fall in their sin for people to start to turn. Would it not be better if we would love each other enough to confront sin in the little or big things so that the sin does not begin to consume our brother or sister and cause them or others around them to take that terrible fall?

The Reason For the Elements

I wrote recently in a post called “The Power of the Elements” about why I believe that using various elements in our worship and teaching is consistent with how God speaks and reveals himself in nature. I also talked about how these elements can be a powerful tool to opening many of our senses that would otherwise be un-stimulated and play an important role in revealing aspects of God that might otherwise be missed.

Recently I was preparing some of those elements for a worship service that our church was having. This service was extremely special because we had rented a large facility and the entire church body, which is normally spread out over three different services, was coming together for one service. Bringing over one thousand people together in a rented location can require a few more things to make it come together. As I was preparing for this I realized that there were some things I could do to really bring out the use of the elements we use in our services. I got excited about these possibilities and everything seemed to be coming together for the rehearsal the night before. Then that night it all broke loose. None of the video equipment was coming together and things were just not working for no reason that we could find. Then after all of that when we were about to leave one of the computers that was running the graphics for the event crashed. I was so tired and stressed I just laid on the ground trying to think it through. Then I pulled my other producer aside and we prayed and God spoke. He told me to chill! The things we were doing were great but I had lost the focus and reason for why I was doing them. I was doing them to help draw people to him. I had forgotten. I believe God broke one of the computers to bring things in perspective. To bring me back to my purpose, and it worked. I went home completely unstressed. I was just excited about what God would be doing the next day and excited about our entire body coming together to worship and seek him. Things went awesome and God moved!

It is easy to get caught up in doing things for God that we forget we are doing them for him. We get caught up in the task of our Christian walk and forget about just being in a relationship with a God that loves us so much. I hope I hold on to this little reminder for a long time. Praise God for how he speaks, so gently and so loving, if we are willing to listen.

Iron Sharpening Iron – Part 2 - Some Answers

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

I love the comments left in part one of this post. Thank you!

The two themes that I found were:

1 You need to determine if it is your responsibility

2 Loving your neighbor as yourself.

Although I do struggle with the concept of when it is my responsibility or not, the “love your neighbor as yourself” statement really hit home. The phrase “Christian Police” came up a few times. I realized that many times I find myself thinking like that, like somehow it is my responsibility to right the wrongs, in myself and others. But along with that I found myself doing that, not anytime I saw something wrong, but anytime I see something wrong that is in turn hurting or robbing others of what God would have for them. I am learning more and more about God’s desire for us to act justly as believers and fight injustice, well I hate the injustice that I see so many times that occurs to others because of someone else’s sin. I feel, right or wrong (I am not sure yet), that when such an injustice occurs I am sinning if I see it and do nothing. However as I journey through this I do know one thing, it is in loving whoever I find myself being called to sharpen in the same love that God shows me and I want shown to me that real justice can occur, that a real wrong can truly be righted. Trying to right a wrong in a wrong way does not create justice or peace. If I am honest with myself about how I communicate and what my true motives are then I believe I can stand before God and know I honored Him with this part of my life. Knowing what to do and when to do it is still very hard but knowing how to is much more clear and it is in knowing the “how” that I feel more empowered to act when I feel the tug in my spirit. Rather it is because of my love for someone or because of an injustice occurring, I still will act as I must, “do unto others as I would have them act towards me”. In a love that represents the grace and mercy of God on us all.

Iron Sharpening Iron – Part 1 - The Questions

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

This is a very popular verse used especially in many church communities for people in accountability groups to help each other grow and deal with our weakness and sin. One thing I have found myself struggling with is how to apply this verse, especially with individuals that don’t want to be sharpened.

There seems to be three types of potential sharpening experiences. The obvious and simplest one is when two or more come together for the purpose of being sharpened. They agree to let the others speak into their life and call them on things that need to change. The second potential sharpening experiences can be between those that have not “officially” said “Sharpen me” but are friends and in a relationship of trust and therefore can make observations that can sharpen each other. The 3^rd is when someone makes an observation or sees areas of sin in someone else’s life and the sin is affecting themselves or others around them negatively.

The first one is a pretty simple one because the doors are open for sharpening to occur and permission has been given. The other two are more complicated with the third being the most complicated. The question I am battling with right now is how to handle the 2^nd and 3^rd scenario. What is the responsibility of fellow believers to speak into each others life, especially when the sin or issue affects others and themselves negatively? Is it right to let someone continue to hurt themselves or others just because they have not given you permission to speak into their life?

I welcome thoughts and feedback because this is an issue I am struggling with and want to honor God first and then as best as I can my fellow brothers and sisters.

The Power of the Elements

For those that don’t know I work at a church as the Director of Media and Technical Ministries and one of my main responsibilities is for the creative elements of the Sunday Morning worship service. Well I was having a talk with a friend about some of the things we do in our service. We have a very contemporary service with some very good worship bands, dramas, videos and special music. Some of my favorite work is when I get to be creative in the worship part of our service. I meet with the worship pastor every week and discuss what the band will be doing that week. I then get to take that info and create elements with the worship. My main tools are lighting, video and sound.

I asked someone recently what they thought of the creative elements in worship. He told me for him additional elements on top of the musical worship can become distracting for him. He said what we do at church is not usually distracting but many times at other places he has been to it has. And this got me thinking about why I value these elements so much. And although it is not greatly profound I thought of the beauty and power of a thunderstorm. The clouds, the wind, the rain, the lightening, and the thunder are all powerful images of what all entails a great thunderstorm. All of us have been in one and most that I talk to have a love of them, at least the experience that comes with them. I think of sitting on my front porch and seeing the trees blowing in the wind and hearing the swooshing of the powerful gusts. Seeing the lighting and then almost immediately hearing the rattling roar of the thunder as it shook my house. And the sound and smell of the rain as it hit the roof and the ground around me. When I put all these elements together I know I have experienced a powerful thunderstorm. The same is for me with worship. It is the combination of all the elements that make a worship service powerful to me. I like it when it rains, but just because there is rain does not make it a powerful thunderstorm. For me the power comes when we bring it all together, as God does in the thunderstorms he creates. I want to follow the example from my creator. I want to be a part of using all the tools God has laid before to combine them together as a beautiful canvas of worship to him and in turn also provide a powerful tool for him communicate with me.

Community Today - Part 2

Well I have been thinking and experiencing this small group/community thing more the past couple of weeks and I have found it to be a great biblical blessing. First it is so refreshing to know I will be able to spend regular time with other believer and share fun, laughs, and life together. In the business of life it can feel so superficial spending sperratic time with so many different people.

However I know some feel that Christians can create a little “holy huddle” when they just spend time together, maybe that is true, but I am finding it is only through this community that we can really live Christ in the world. Jesus even said in John 13:34-35,
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

First, for me, I really believe I must love my fellow believers first to be who Christ wants me to be in the world. Then through this community my desire would be to see the community being Christ in the world.

Also I have been looking at Acts and the early church. They were dealing with the issue of taking care of the poor and the widows. It appears that the disciples were focusing on taking care of the poor and widows that were believers. This was the first priority and then they would enter the rest of the community around them. In this small group I have already experience the taking care of each other and other believers through this small group community. Things I would have not have been able to do or been even informed of the need, have now becomes places were I can server other believers and take care of each other. I don’t have extra plot of land to sell but I have some time and skills and I desire to share those with my follow believers and even more I desire to learn what it means in Acts 2:43-44
All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Community Today (Part 1)

Soon I will be starting a small group with some friends. I have been thinking about this concept of “small group” for some time now and I wrote a letter to those who we asked to be a part of a group. Here are some parts from the letter sharing my thoughts on small group community in 2007… more to come though…

We want to quickly tell you what we believe God is calling us to. As best we can in our modern world, we desire to live in an “Acts 2” community way. In the business of our everyday lives it can be very difficult to have true, deep community with other believers but we would like to see that happen. We desire to join in community with other couples and focus our time, energy, and support for those that we share that community with. As many of you have probably experienced, it can be hard to truly connect with others when you are trying to fit everyone into an already full life and family schedule. It can easily make you feel stretched thin relationally without feeling like there is a true relational community. So in an attempt to counter this, we desire to join with you to experience this community through a small group…

Honestly we don’t have any particular agenda, we just want to begin to live in community with other believes, believers that are our friends. We can meet at each others homes, go out, eat dinner, play games, share and pray, laugh and cry. It is about being together….

However, the goal is that through this small group we will be experiencing this community more then just every other week and in these times we will be experiencing it together with our entire families…

Now the invitation is out to you. Would you like to be involved in this community with us? This is not a group for us to lead. It is a group for us all to be in community together….

“Who is my neighbor”

I recently did a small paper for one of my communications class. I was supposed to find an article of some kind that I could break down the different types of communications in relationships. I chose the story out of Luke 10 commonly known as the story of the “Good Samaritan”. Since I was evaluating it for a class it did not have a lot of spiritual tones but it did bring back to mind something. The value of being a neighbor to a stranger. The story was stimulated by the statement from Jesus to love your neighbor as yourself and then the return questions to him “Who is my neighbor”. Check the story out in Luke 10 but to just say a few thoughts:

First Jesus asks at the end of the story who was the beaten man’s neighbor. The answer was the one who showed mercy and Jesus says, “Go and to likewise”. So the overall point is saying go and take care of your fellow man, regardless of who they are and maybe even regardless of the cost to you. Second Jesus is breaking the definition of neighbor from those that we know to anybody we encounter. This seems to raise the bar of “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Jesus seems to be saying love everyone you encounter as yourself, willing to give whatever it takes to take care of them the way you would take care of yourself… Just a quick thought.

Hypocrite? That's Not How I See It

As many of have heard what is now old news. A great Christian leader, Ted Haggard as step down from pastoring New Life Church in Colorado and as leader of the Association of Evangelicals because of drug and homosexual struggles and failures in his life. I know many that struggle with hearing this. The first thought that comes to many minds is the word hypocrite. However I can not call him that. Lets look at the definition of hypocrite: somebody who gives a false appearance of having admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings.

This is what I know about Ted Haggard. He did not give a false appearance of having certain principles, beliefs or feelings. What Ted Haggard did was immoral on all levels and he knows it and believes it. Even when he was struggling and falling in these areas he still believed what he was doing was wrong. He would be a hypocrite if he believed what he did was right and then preached that it was wrong or vise versa, but that is not the case. That is not the case with many Christians.

I have admired and respected Ted ever since I read his book “The Life Giving Church”. The thing is, I still value him as a person, author, and Christian. He fell and he in turn will suffer the consequences of his sin and he should be held accountable for them and seek help. However I hope and pray to see him restored one day. I have no anger toward him. I am disappointed, let down, and hurting to see a man I admired so much fall so hard. But I know that Jesus died for his sin just as much as mine. I can not hold his sin against him anymore then I would want Jesus to hold my sin against me.

I will still read his books and follow to see what God does next in his life because even though he did sin it is evident to me God was still speaking to him and using him through those times. God uses sinners; otherwise he could not use any of us. God even uses Christians that fall. Falling declares our need even more for Jesus. I am not ever excusing sin. I am saying that sin can be used by God to make an average Christian into a great Christian if we are willing to let God do His thing with our sin.