tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-167918950674857572024-03-05T20:12:16.199-07:00WorshipDude...random thoughts on God & LifeWorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-51628712808119791552016-09-08T08:15:00.004-06:002016-09-08T08:56:22.711-06:00Ecclesia: A Movement to be Incarnational, Messianic & ApostolicIn preparing to launch a faith community called Ecclesia, in our soon to be open coffee shop in North Colorado Springs, I decided to reread a book by two missionally thoughtful pastors/authors, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. <i>The Shape of Things To Come</i> has been a pivotal book to many who want to move to a missional model of living out their faith. It has also been the bur in the saddle of many institutional church leaders. I don't think Alan and Michael set out to irritate corporate churches (or maybe they did), I just think talking plainly about the failings of Christendom will obviously make friends as well as enemies, even unintentionally. I risk the same here.<br />
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One of these sections of their missional propaganda talks about three areas that need to be readjusted in the Western church.<br />
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1. The Church needs to be <i><b>Incarnational</b></i>, not separating itself from culture in large buildings, but rather being among those who need the Gospel. This means moving from an attractional model, where programs and events pull people to the church building, to being a sending community, where the followers of Christ live out their faith in everyday life. Jesus once proclaimed to a religious group that he came for the sick, not the spiritually healthy. Perhaps we should follow his example. Christendom, way back before we were born...way, way, way back...decided that religion would be ruled by the State. We started building cathedrals and instituting hierarchies of church leadership. We have held on to those structures even today, and it seems we won't have our hands pried away. <br />
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2. The Church needs to be <i><b>Messianic</b></i>, not dualistic. By dualistic, they mean that we often view our world and our life in terms of things that are good and things that are evil. We separate out the good from the bad so that we are not polluted by the bad. While I understand not wanting to be infiltrated by things that might take me off course in my apprenticeship with Jesus, again, we must question how we will be able to minister to the "sick" that Jesus came for if we stay away from the culture they live in. How do we heal lepers if don't enter the colony? Is all creation not God's and our job is to simply try and redeem what has been stained by sin? That seems very different than avoiding the parts of His creation that are in turbulence.<br />
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3. The Church needs to be <i><b>Apostolic</b></i> in leadership, not hierarchical. Today, most churches are looking for a CEO that specializes in growing the church bigger. A "Lead Pastor" today needs to be more of a strategist of programs, than a prophet/teacher that guides people in their spiritual journey. What if church leadership structures looked flatter? What if gifting from Ephesians 4: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher, became the sought-after giftings of leadership that would then "equip the saints" as Paul put it poetically.<br />
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As Ecclesia launches this month, these three points seem to be obvious building blocks of the foundation of our community. A community that will live incarnationally within the rhythms of the city around us. We want to see the beauty in all of creation, and bring light to the places that are dark, not run from, or be aggressive against those things that have been stained by sin. We want to share together in the leadership and movement forward of Ecclesia as a community of faith. Without flattening the leadership structures, we risk setting up a system where the audience comes to be talked to by the leader....sound familiar? Sure, there's a leader, but somewhere I remember a suggestion from someone that the best leaders are servants first. They lead from behind.<br />
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Well, I probably have done what Hirsch and Frost unintentionally have done...make some people mad. Know I'm not against large churches, but I do think it is time we face the structures and rhythms that keep people from living out their life in a missional way. After all, being missional and incarnational is not a strategy...it is simply the way our Rabbi taught us to live.WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-66029182255646324842016-08-29T08:23:00.002-06:002016-08-29T17:23:14.489-06:00The Parable of the Good Barista<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There once was a good hearted barista who didn't know what he believed about God, about Jesus. At a party, he served special coffee to a gathering of city folk. They gathered to drink coffee and eat sugar waffles, yes, waffles. They gathered to be merry, enjoy each other's company, drink special coffee and yes, eat and eat and eat sugar waffles. Because the host was a Pastor, many who came to eat waffles were Christians. They loved each other, they loved their neighbor, they were faithful church attenders and studied the writings of Scripture in order to live a deeper and more fruitful life with God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The party, with many Christians, got so full that people spilled over onto the sidewalk outside. They gathered there, laughing, loving, and eating their waffles. They gathered in front of tables with creative ways to raise money for the disenfranchised of the city and the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No one noticed the man bent over from the weight of his pack, carrying all of his earthly belongings. He was dirty, he was unkept. He had to make his through the gathering of waffle-eaters on the sidewalk. He had to find a way through the Christians to continue on his journey. As he passed by the party, his journey remained the same...a long path made out of squares of concrete, where at some point he would stop and find a place to rest. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The host, the Pastor, standing with the Christians on the sidewalk, was shocked to see one of his baristas running from behind the counter with a sugar waffle in his hand. "Don't they realize they shouldn't run with all the guests around here?", he thought to himself. The running would cause a commotion, a disruption. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of the sudden, as the barista ran past the host, the Pastor, looked to his right and saw what the barista was running after...the dirty man with the pack. He had him sit on the sidewalk, on one of the squares of concrete, and gave him one of the prized sugar waffles. He gave him a cup of the special coffee. The Pastor heard him say, "Here man, I hope you enjoy this."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In all of the festivities and talk of God's future for the special coffee and prized sugar waffles, the Pastor and all the other Christians didn't see the dirty man with the pack make his way through the crowded sidewalk. Only the barista who isn't sure what he really believes saw his neighbor...and fed him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This isn't a parable at all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a true story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Pastor was me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The barista is my son...William.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">God gave me a glimpse of what our future coffee shop and related church community can look like. He also reminded me that Third Space Coffee and Ecclesia will only be successful when it touches real life, in the trenches of life. I didn't even see the man pass by, but my son did, the one who is honest with me about his doubts of God and religion. I can't help but ask the convicting question of myself...Was God more pleased with my fellowship with other Christians on the sidewalk, or was he more pleased with the simple act of one doubter who fed his neighbor and loved him?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The lesson is clear...the sugar waffles and coffee are only special because of who they are served to. May we be a coffee shop and a church community where there is always commotion and disruption.</span>WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-91651228138305856812015-06-27T10:16:00.002-06:002015-06-27T10:20:50.906-06:003 Things to Remember About the Church and the Gay Marriage Ruling - Part 1I'm hesitant to pollute the FB waves with even more commentary on the recent Supreme Court decision to make Gay Marriage legal. However, posts at the far ends of the spectrum compel me to voice my position. This may be partly so that I know where I stand personally, then can verbalize it to others as they ask me. It is also so that I will quit yelling at my FB screen from reactionary posts...it scares my children when I do that.<br />
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So here goes round one...and as with much good practical theology and doctrinal position, is subject to change.<br />
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<b>1.<u> Marriage still belongs to God and the Church will go on.</u></b> It's interesting to me that the Church was birthed in Greece and Roman culture. Our New Testament was fuel to a movement called Christianity in cultures where marriage and sex were practiced outside of God's instructions and commandments. Still, the Church thrived, people came to Christ and sought lives that honored the God in which they served and worshiped. The United States is not accustomed to being a culture that is post-modern to Christianity, and it scares us to death. There are cultures around the globe where the framework of marriage and sexual relations is foreign to our "Christian values." Missionaries can attest to this. Still, marriage is an institute of God. There is no shortage of values and practices in life where the "created" don't honor the "Creator." Even we heterosexual protectors of marriage and family values have our own kinks in the armor of following Christ. Still, it all belongs to God and this is His story in the end...it will end the way He wants it to. We must not be scared that God has lost control.<br />
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<b>2. </b><u><b>We are instructed to NOT judge those outside the Church for homosexuality.</b></u> Paul, in writing a letter to a church within a culture that practiced sexual relations outside of the boundaries of God's instruction, instructed them to refrain from judging. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 says: <i><span class="text 1Cor-5-9" id="en-NLT-28424"><sup class="versenum">9 </sup>When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-5-10" id="en-NLT-28425"><sup class="versenum">10 </sup><b>But
I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin</b>, or are
greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this
world to avoid people like that.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"><sup class="versenum">11 </sup>I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people...</span></i><br />
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<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"><span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">We don't seem to think the country is crumbling because of these issues.</span> </span><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">(I don't see many Christians today refusing to associate with those in the Church that practice abuse on their family, cheating on taxes and the such, or seem to worship other things than God.</span><span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">..hmmm)</span><i><span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"> </span></i><br />
<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"></span><span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"><br /></span>
<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">A good question I was asked by someone I respect very much: "Do you believe homosexuality is really a sin?" My answer: "Yes". So is my battle with wanting more cars, nice stuff, judgement of other people, etc... </span><br />
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<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">For those of us who use the Bible as a guide to know God's desires and wishes for life, it is very hard to skip over Romans 1:26-27 </span><i><span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"><span class="text Rom-1-26" id="en-NLT-27918"><sup class="versenum">26 </sup>That
is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women
turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex
with each other.</span> <span class="text Rom-1-27" id="en-NLT-27919"><sup class="versenum">27 </sup>And
the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned
with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men,</span>... </span></i><br />
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<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">If you don't use the Bible as guide, then I can certainly understand why we disagree....but I love you just as much. </span><br />
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<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"><b>3. <u>God's love is not dependent on how someone acts.</u></b> Boy, do we love to preach about grace! Salvation by faith and not works is the proud flag flown for decades by fundamental evangelicalism (right below the American flag). Excuse my pointed frustration, as you can sense in my writing, but I'm am fed up with Christian knowledge that falls short of being lived out when relationships get hard. When we put our love on a restricted basis, available only when someone acts the way we want, we are communicating an incorrect Gospel. God loves us in spite of our life activity...does He want us to transform and change? Absolutely, but that is a process of loving relationship with God and, more importantly, with loving community (Christians). It's no wonder we Christians are seen as the most judgmental group in America today. If we want America to be Christian, maybe we need to start acting Christian first! </span><br />
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<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">I'm sure there is more to come. With each FB post I read, instead of yelling, I'll add a sequel to this post.</span><br />
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<span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426">This ends part 1... I feel better</span><i><span class="text 1Cor-5-11" id="en-NLT-28426"> </span></i>WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-40403985747662481992014-12-25T20:17:00.001-07:002014-12-25T20:17:43.990-07:00I Don't Like Brussel Sprouts!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEG7ZYi1xTmOnMAOlGZBr4vZvWntt7EGEHrWFm6WzVngePDllicnZZe7I7TXa3xod_ICL8ZRPH54TBKFFnxOVuLOD6-NTX5YU8CccSdCpECviIEadLE_kXNDvJMpA7aTsAFqK3fp3C5s/s1600/sprouts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEG7ZYi1xTmOnMAOlGZBr4vZvWntt7EGEHrWFm6WzVngePDllicnZZe7I7TXa3xod_ICL8ZRPH54TBKFFnxOVuLOD6-NTX5YU8CccSdCpECviIEadLE_kXNDvJMpA7aTsAFqK3fp3C5s/s1600/sprouts.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>So I'm not a big fan of Brussel Sprouts. No, I didn't come from one of those homes where my mom made me clean my plate, no matter what awful green vegetable was on it, but I was exposed to many different foods and expected to at least "try it." Sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't. Dinner usually looked like having some foods I liked, some foods my brother liked, some we didn't...and so we lived with a mixture of favorites and unfavorites all the time. If there was something on our plate like, say Brussel Sprouts, we just tried one and left the others there. And so we knew that there would always be things we didn't like so much at dinner...that was ok.<br />
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I find myself concerned that the American Church is unable to live with Brussel Sprouts...<br />
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In my sixteen years of doing ministry, I've found that there really is no perfect church, no perfect congregation, no perfect church leadership team. Still, our successful consumer culture has created what has been termed by some, the "Cafeteria Church", (which goes well with my metaphor of Brussel Sprouts). The typical church-goer is going to a church because of what that church brings to their personal life. The teaching, the worship, the children's program, the youth program...one or more things "fit" what they need in a season of life. I totally understand this as I have preferences also, but I've learned that a self-focused church attendance misses critical things for our Christian journey.<br />
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Sadly, what we miss is the necessary ingredient of COMMUNITY. what I mean by community is not just gathering on Sundays, but developing deep relationships with other believers. Relationships that go beyond the surface and involve knowing the unattractive issues in our life. This type of community takes time, and investment. Theologians like Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who shaped much of our current thinking, have written in summary that Christian community is a necessary part of becoming a mature Christ follower. I tend to agree.<br />
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Today, the disturbing trend is that many Christ-followers do not hold community as a value...at least not above personal preferences. If something goes wrong relationally in the church, they just pickup and leave, there's always another church down the road. I don't mean to sound overly critical, but I believe this is a massive blow to the Church in America, as well as our own journey with Christ. For us to be formed into the image of Christ, we must stick it out with each other. Those uncomfortable relationships will help transform us. Those disagreements with leadership or programming, when talked through, become the laboratory of forgiveness and understanding. We become more like Jesus by leaning in to the broken relational issues we face, rather than running from them.<br />
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Yes, sometimes it means enduring worship that isn't your favorite, or teaching that isn't what you'd pick...but when the community is your primary value, then God will use you in other people's lives and they will be used in yours. You become "part of the Body." Heard that idea before somewhere? (hint: 1 Corinthians 12)<br />
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I'm saddened when I hear someone leave our church...not when they feel called to another ministry, but when they leave over preferences or relational differences. Community falls way down the list of priorities....down where Brussel Sprouts reside. Without community ("Communal Unity"), the Church is weaker, which the enemy loves. Without community we cannot mature and grow. My personal belief is that there is no such thing as a "personal relationship with Christ." We've done people a dis-service by coining that term in America. It must be a community relationship with Jesus...because that is where we are changed and transformed. That's probably why community is so prevalent in Scripture. That's why we're called "a Body of Christ."<br />
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So when you look at your church and see Brussel Sprouts, just try one. If you don't like it, just leave the rest on your plate....don't go looking for a new cafeteria...they really are all the same in that some of their food choices are good, some not so good. Don't let community become a byproduct of attendance at a church, make community a Christian value you strive and fight for. In the end, you'll be a better Christ-follower for it, and the church will be blessed by your long-suffering investment in relationships!<br />
<br />WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-7181465839324129142014-09-10T06:27:00.002-06:002014-09-10T07:46:05.544-06:00A Disappointing Title - "The Gospel, Homosexuality & The Future of Marriage"I'm really taking a risk with this post...I realize that. Let me make a statement from the start. I'm putting in bold letters hoping you hear my voice clearly:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- <b>I believe that the Bible is authoritative and teaches that homosexuality is a sin. </b></span><br />
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I recently received an email that really disturbed me. It was an advertisement for the ERLC upcoming conference in October. The ERLC is the "Ethics & Religious Liberties Conference" of the Southern Baptist Convention. (I want to add here that I was baptized in a Southern Baptist church). What disturbed me was the title of the conference: <span style="color: red;"><i>The Gospel, Homosexuality and the Future of Marriage</i>.</span><br />
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<i>Here is their opening paragraph:</i><br />
<i>Are you and your church prepared for the moral revolution surrounding
homosexuality and same-sex marriage happening across America? While
human sexuality and social institutions are being redefined before our
very eyes, the Bible presents marriage as an unchanging picture of the
gospel through the union of one man and one woman. The gospel announces
that the story of Jesus is greater than the sum total of our sexual
desires.</i><br />
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Hoping that I made my theological stance clear above before going further, what bothers me is that the conference seems to be drawing the battles lines. There is a protectionist stance suggested, even if not intended, by throngs of fundamentalist Christians, gathering to "get their ducks in a row" in preparation for the "coming revolution." I'm praying that this conference is less aggressive than it appears. I so respect some of the speakers and in fact, know a couple of them personally and regard them highly.<br />
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Here's my rub...while I understand the feelings behind why these brothers and sisters believe that marriage needs to be protected, The Gospel does NOT need to be protected. In fact, the Gospel is precisely for Gays and Lesbians, as well as for us. There is no protectionist agenda, no law of the land, no outcry from the Temple that is going to transform people's lives. It only comes from The Gospel and relationship with Jesus Christ.<br />
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Question...how will we be able to share this Gospel (good news) with those that need this transformation, if we're on a battlefield?<br />
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A person I respect made an interesting comment recently regarding gays and lesbians, in regard to fundamental Christian families. He said that it was interesting that in Muslim countries, if a child chooses Christianity, they are ostracized from their family and friends. This intelligent millennial went on to observe that in Christian homes here in America, if a child says they are gay or lesbian, they are ostracized also. His view, whether you agree or not, was that we Christians are just as closed minded as Muslims, just as judgmental. Something's wrong here...<br />
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While I totally believe that homosexuality is a sin, I also believe greed, gluttony, gossip, slander, lust and many other vices are sins as well, yet we don't have large conferences about protecting our lives from those. We sweep the seemingly smaller issues under the rugs of our homes and choose to vocalize our disapproval of someone's sinful life in homosexuality.<br />
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Somewhere in that Bible we carry, it talks about logs and splinters...as well, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+cor+5%3A9-10&version=ESV" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 5:9-10 </a>becomes an interesting part of this discussion.<br />
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I am in turmoil over our society's acceptance of same-sex marriage. I believe it is a sinful lifestyle that God did not ordain, and even speaks against. I really wrestle, as a pastor, with how the church should deal with this rising bent of our culture. Yet, I love the individuals in this life style, just like I love my friends caught in other sins. So what will turn society toward God? I don't think it is a "Great Wall of China" approach to The Gospel. What will turn society toward God, is showing the love of God ourselves, in person (I think Jesus even commissioned us to do that). Without face to face conversation, we remain adversaries. It's hard to hear The Gospel over the sounds of cannons and muskets.WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-22940797568519309102014-09-02T08:04:00.000-06:002014-09-02T08:11:57.846-06:00The Crossroads of Closeness with GodIt's the day after our community, and the high school in our neighborhood, mourn the loss of two senior high students from a fatal car crash. Another student still in the hospital and the driver, 17 years old, in jail possibly facing charges of manslaughter.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrujx3fR_x_4lrSLkWgADdK-TVWZr2skKoNa4rHR8hRtECb7vEuM6rkHIa3A4-DiIubu-1VIX0qXQYe-gjtrSWinyMzA6kvse5eouXm9br31PCsr7j-4hGPTHFFn0gEsqDTSo5IBL0g00/s1600/flagpole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrujx3fR_x_4lrSLkWgADdK-TVWZr2skKoNa4rHR8hRtECb7vEuM6rkHIa3A4-DiIubu-1VIX0qXQYe-gjtrSWinyMzA6kvse5eouXm9br31PCsr7j-4hGPTHFFn0gEsqDTSo5IBL0g00/s1600/flagpole.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students praying at Palmer<br />
Ridge High School.</td></tr>
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This morning I awoke to news reports, tweets and Facebook posts about the crash and the resulting coming together of our community....many being teens in our church who had played on teams with the boys or knew them personally. A cross has been erected with flowers being added by the hour at the crash site. At Palmer Ridge High School, the normal 10-12 students praying at the flagpole was increased by a multiple of 10. We opened our church yesterday so students could come and make some sense of their loss and possibly of God. One of our pastors is today meeting with the soccer team, which one of the boys played on with his son.</div>
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Tragedy brings us to a crossroads. It's a place where anger, sorrow, questions and hope meet to seek an answer and new path. It is an opportunity to reengage a closeness with God that was waining, or possibly non-existent.</div>
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I wonder if God doesn't use these tragedies purposely to remind us of many things...</div>
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our humanity</div>
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the thin balance between life and death</div>
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community and our need of each other</div>
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his existence</div>
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As we seek answers in the midst of tragedies, God is at the crossroads, waiting patiently for our inquiries. His answers are not always what we want to hear, but if we will settle our souls within the story and hope of His eternity, we can find the strength to pick ourselves up and move on. We will find purpose again and learn from our trials.</div>
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James writes to, <i>"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whoever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish it works so that you can be mature and complete, not lacking anything."</i> (James 1:2-3) Whether we like it or not, tragedy breeds maturity. The fruit of maturity is an increasing hope, not in the safety of life, but in an eternity with our Creator.</div>
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And so, this tragedy yesterday in our community reminds me to do one thing...stay close to my God and find hope in Him. As we pray and mourn with these families and our community, may God's closeness become apparent to them as they stand at the crossroads looking for answers, along with all of us.</div>
WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-311424437518918612014-08-23T06:50:00.004-06:002014-08-23T06:50:52.418-06:00A Constant Source of Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSaWjlkC7h_okjozFH4RtJvuHNVtfe2HLwZHd5UdVYcJ2H76eSSNIbjmndU47TAM9lMD6xgW6ZDkf6ZjdGRYNmxGkJGyP4DLoUtEjPjoQfq-uD9W9cEUiWuUx6oU1hTUAfbUajNoW29c/s1600/valley+of+vision.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSaWjlkC7h_okjozFH4RtJvuHNVtfe2HLwZHd5UdVYcJ2H76eSSNIbjmndU47TAM9lMD6xgW6ZDkf6ZjdGRYNmxGkJGyP4DLoUtEjPjoQfq-uD9W9cEUiWuUx6oU1hTUAfbUajNoW29c/s1600/valley+of+vision.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a></div>
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Every day, if following Christ closely, we are stretched beyond ourselves and beyond the grace we have within us. Whether relationships, weight of life, or simply pace of living, the peace of our souls is tested and pushed aside.<br />
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My reading for today from <b><i>Valley of Vision</i></b> spoke to this constant tug-of-war with grace:<br />
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O what blessedness accompanies devotion,<br />
when under all the trials that weary me,<br />
the cares that corrode me,<br />
the fears that disturb me,<br />
the infirmities that oppress me,<br />
I can come to Thee in my need,<br />
and feel peace beyond understanding!<br />
And here thy saints encourage my hope;<br />
they were once poor and are now rich,<br />
bound and are now free,<br />
tried and are now victorious.<br />
Every new duty calls for more grace than I now possess,<br />
but not more than is found in thee,<br />
the divine Treasury in whom all fullness dwells.<br />
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from: <i>Valley of Vision, A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions </i><br />
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When life is heavy or relationships are a struggle, move closer to God (devotion) and fine the grace needed to move ahead...WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-65686351877481430702014-08-21T21:44:00.001-06:002014-08-21T21:44:21.028-06:00"Forgiven Much...Worship Much"This past week I encountered two quotes that gave some perspective on worship...at least for my own engagement on Sunday mornings. That's right, sometimes this Worship Leader doesn't always feel like singing or leading worship on Sundays. My feelings don't always fit with the songs I've picked or the topic for that morning. Sound familiar to you as well?<br />
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Travis Ryan, a gifted worship leader and songwriter tweeted the following last week, "Worship Leaders, instead of starting your service with 'How do I feel', ask 'What do I know?'."<br />
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So what do we know? I mean, let's face it, I don't always feel like waking up on Sunday and singing songs or sitting through a message. I don't always want to put on my happy face and engage my church community. There may be things happening in my life that I don't want to be transparent about, which leads to a lack of desire to engage God in worship, singing, prayer or learning.<br />
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So if we followed Travis's advice, which I think it right on the mark, we would ask, <i>"Instead of following how I feel, what do I know?"</i> I pondered this statement for a few days and found my answer as I listened to Bill Hybels during the opening talk of the 2014 Global Leadership Summit. Bill made a statement that immediately answered Travis's tweet, at least for me. Bill said, "Forgiven Much...Worship Much." That was the resounding answer to "What do I know?"<br />
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It sounds obvious but often doesn't live itself out as obvious, but we don't want to worship just because of how we feel. We worship because God is worthy and because we have been <i>forgiven much</i>! When I think over my life and the things that still haunt me, the things I'm still trying to improve, and how God gives me the grace that I need on that journey, I'm given a reason to worship no matter how I feel. I live within the safety of His forgiveness...forever! Forgiven Much...Worship Much.<br />
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I encourage you to not disengage from your faith community when life is hard or your feelings don't follow the Sunday songs or message. Be there and engage God because of what He's done for you, not because of your feelings. You are forgiven much, so worship much!WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-3164897337310577752014-07-30T08:38:00.000-06:002014-08-21T21:51:29.220-06:00Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZL9z8bKFHlZckTNjQkHpIUbPH5W6oYgDD5mgtdxMwYKQixg4HIGSUEAfUOmFgO7pS97Xzk43zm4znyUmlnTx5pOR87t-KdSkrzDt4QFuXlVk8hHQxjitta2sdCJsMqdhXCsPuwYXDfo/s1600/album-johnny-lee-greatest-hits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZL9z8bKFHlZckTNjQkHpIUbPH5W6oYgDD5mgtdxMwYKQixg4HIGSUEAfUOmFgO7pS97Xzk43zm4znyUmlnTx5pOR87t-KdSkrzDt4QFuXlVk8hHQxjitta2sdCJsMqdhXCsPuwYXDfo/s200/album-johnny-lee-greatest-hits.jpg" height="194" width="200" /></a>The title of this blog was a song made famous by country music singer Johnny Lee and was also part of the soundtrack of the movie URBAN COWBOY (now I'm showing my age:). It is hauntingly biblical in it's premise, which I'm sure was not Johnny's intent. Yet this searching for love, approval and happiness finds real meaning not only in hit songs but also in scripture and in our very lives...each and every one of us.<br />
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Refining trials of life are meant to do one thing, I am now convinced; to revalue the idols of our life and put them in their proper position and perspective. God does not want any believer to place more value on their happiness, success, relationships, love, etc....than on Him. If you look at most stories throughout scripture, there is usually a problem with an idol in someone's life.<br />
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We can build an idol out of anything, or anyone. We can strive for happiness more than God, for love more than God, for success more than God, for great kids more than God...the list goes on. I've recently come to learn and realize that even your closest relationships, the ones you thought you couldn't live without, easily become idols. Once they are seen for what they are....it's much easier to live a life of what my friend and counselor, Ken Curry, calls "Holy Indifference." Our focus should always be on what God is wanting and how we work out our story and journey with Him, no matter what deserts or trials come about. When pain takes our focus off of God and onto what we need to feel better, we've created an idol.....a little god that makes us feel better than the BIG GOD that is letting us walk thru the desert.<br />
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It's also interesting that we like to move from one idol to the next, so that life feels better to us. When one god is "not being a very good god." There's always another one to take it's place...and we are so good and finding them! My own hope is to replace the idols that pop up their ugly heads with one true thing that I can rely on and worship.....Yaweh Himself. Other small idols will make me feel better for a while, but ultimately leave me feeling empty and still searching. <br />
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I recently made a list of my idols. I tried to be brutally honest with myself and with God. He has certainly refined my outlook on life and my desire to love Him first above anything else in life. I feel like I'm on a path toward understanding Job...where losing anything can result in just worshiping Him. It is a process though...as we all want love, acceptance and affirmation from life and from those around us. Still, we must keep those in perspective, not as idols, but as blessings.<br />
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Timothy Keller in his book, Counterfeit Gods, has a great definition of an idol that goes something like, "when a blessing of life becomes the thing that is the focus of life, it becomes an idol." Abraham had to be willing to kill his ultimate blessing, Isaac. Isaac had become an idol in Abraham's heart and God knew it, so he asked him to sacrifice it. Just when God knew that Abraham was willing to obey God above holding on to his blessing/son, God did not require death of the idol, just removal from Abraham's heart. At that time, God was first in Abraham's life. Abraham's example is what we must also do with all the relationships and blessings of stuff in our life....put it on the altar, draw the knife and start the killing of it. Perhaps God will will save it from death, perhaps not. But the point is not whether we keep the blessing or not, it's whether we keep God first or not.<br />
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This removing of idols is not a pleasant journey to be on, but one that delivers the promises of James 1 where the perseverance of following God brings about a maturity of faith. That is a promise worth keeping my eyes fixed to!WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-34198935369683879492014-06-25T08:34:00.000-06:002014-08-21T21:45:45.508-06:00Want to shrink government? Increase the Church!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I heard an acclaimed author recently say "Government has increased social programs to the needy because the Church has retreated."<br />
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That statement goes against our very core beliefs as "Americans". We are all called to be self-sufficient and take every advantage of the "American Dream." While that is certainly true, it has to be balanced with the core faith that our country was founded on, which we can read in The Bible. As Christian Americans we are faced with holding in one hand the flag of freedom and opportunity and in the other hand the book with the words of Jesus. Those words of His tell us to love our enemies, feed the poor, take care of the widows, think of others better than yourself, don't repay evil with evil but repay with love and good deeds.<br />
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Socially, we have the lower margins of society and wonder why they don't dig themselves out of whatever economic hole they have created. We look down on them for their lack of discipline and ethic...knowing that we are all in a country where we can do anything we want with enough effort and perseverance. This has created a social barrier that Jesus never intended. A vacuum is created between the haves and have-nots that we, the Church, are called to fill. Not dependent on whether someone is deserving or not, but because we love our neighbor AND our enemies equally...we take care of those less-fortunate or weak in character and stamina. We shine the light of Christ because we are the only ones here to do it, right now.<br />
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Since we, the Church, have left the holes in this vacuum of society...places where needs and love are left empty, the government, our society, has stepped in. Why? Because we are a country founded on basic biblical principles of taking care of those around us and making sure no-one falls out of the boat and drowns. Are there going to be those that take advantage of the system? Yes, of course....does that make them and enemy? No, I don't think so...but even if it does...what are we called to do? Love them! Jesus says if a thief comes to steal something, give him more!<br />
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If we, the Christian Right, want to decrease the size of government, maybe our efforts should be in the direction of removing the problems that government is there to solve. ie. if there were more mentoring/tutoring programs that neighborhood churches did for the schools around them, we wouldn't need to fund education initiatives. If we would feed just the single mom families around our churches, perhaps we would decrease the need for food-stamps....and bring people to Christ at the same time.<br />
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Want to shrink government? Let's increase the Church!WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-23762992436752785492014-06-11T05:51:00.000-06:002014-08-21T21:46:52.877-06:00What is religion?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4F5vSitq08Ctcj8xThZm0pOl_mz4YNwl8QW5BEn1EzauKEskw-7vyWlvbh9eWd4JoZpqs2e120QP4NRpOGv8NytTpxU7tCfwmnVRY_zm486mVb1FXuZvcbN8RM6xTIT_CgCzDt4aeo8/s1600/9780525951360m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4F5vSitq08Ctcj8xThZm0pOl_mz4YNwl8QW5BEn1EzauKEskw-7vyWlvbh9eWd4JoZpqs2e120QP4NRpOGv8NytTpxU7tCfwmnVRY_zm486mVb1FXuZvcbN8RM6xTIT_CgCzDt4aeo8/s1600/9780525951360m.jpg" /></a></div>
This quote hit me flat in the middle of the eyes this morning during my reading of Timothy Keller's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Counterfeit-Gods-Empty-Promises-Matters/dp/0525951369">Counterfeit Gods</a>....<br />
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<i><b>"Your religion is what you do with your solitude"</b></i><br />
<i><b> Archbishop William Temple</b></i><br />
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Basically, when no one is around, just you and God, wherever your thoughts, desires and actions go to is what you REALLY believe. It is so easy for us as human beings to "say" something out of our mouth...to use our vocal chords to "dress" ourselves in a particular garment. But what our heart is truly wearing is shown eventually by our actions, not what we say. Most of the time, this comes out when no one else is watching, no one that would judge us or criticize us.<br />
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For me, the key is a constant realization that God is watching everything, is with me in everything. Scripture says that one day He WILL judge, He will ask me, "what did you do with your life in the solitude, Rowland?"<br />
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That's enough for me to at least work hard to be a person where integrity shines like the sun, even when no one else is there to enjoy the daylight!WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-44125423322342168562014-03-04T16:21:00.000-07:002014-08-21T21:48:14.632-06:00It's Not Christian But It Should Be......This old proverb is not Christian but it should be, and we, as Christ Followers, should try to achieve it:<br />
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<i>When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.</i><br />
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WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-36230354949072677202013-10-18T07:36:00.000-06:002014-08-21T21:46:19.574-06:00A Book That Will Change Your Perspectives...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made a new friend recently, Joel Limpic. We met through a mutual friend while he was here in Denver doing some Worship Leading and sabbatical time. I saw a FB post of his with this prayer:<br />
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<i>All things are shadows, but thou art substance</i><br />
<i>All things are quicksands, but thou art mountain</i><br />
<i>All things are shifting, but thou art anchor</i><br />
<i>All things are ignorance, but thou art wisdom</i><br />
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These words grabbed my heart and began birthing a song. While Joel was here, we arranged a meeting one day for a couple of hours and wrote, what I think, is a great meditative worship song around this verse.<br />
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The verse comes from a larger prayer written years ago by Puritans and is found in a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Vision-collection-Puritan-Devotions/dp/0851512283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318944841&sr=8-1">The Valley of Vision</a>, A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions. I purchased the book and have been reading one prayer per day in the mornings. I encourage you to do the same. Not that we each cannot pray in our way, or need to be liturgical in our lives, but there is depth to the way these words are designed and written. They speak in a way that drives me to a more transparent place. Perhaps they would do that for you as well. I offer an example below out of this book:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>THE THRONE</b></u></span><br />
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O GOD OF MY DELIGHT,<br />
Thy throne of grace is the pleasure ground of my soul.<br />
Here I obtain mercy in time of need,<br />
here see the smile of thy reconciled face,<br />
here joy pleads the name of Jesus,<br />
here I sharpen the sword of the Spirit,<br />
anoint the shield of faith,<br />
put on the helmet of salvation,<br />
gather manna from thy Word,<br />
am strengthened for each conflict,<br />
nerved for the upward race,<br />
empowered to conquer every foe;<br />
Help me to come to Christ<br />
as the fountain head of descending blessings,<br />
as a wide open flood-gate of mercy.<br />
I marvel at my insensate folly,<br />
that with such enriching favors within my reach<br />
I am slow to extend the hand to take them.<span id="more-1386"></span><br />
Have mercy upon my deadness for thy Name’s sake.<br />
Quicken me, stir me, fill me with holy zeal.<br />
Strengthen me that I may cling to thee and not let thee go.<br />
May thy Spirit within me draw all blessings from thy hand.<br />
When I advance not, I backslide.<br />
Let me walk humbly because of good omitted and evil done.<br />
Impress on my mind the shortness of time,<br />
the work to be engaged in,<br />
the account to be rendered,<br />
the nearness of eternity,<br />
the fearful sin of despising thy Spirit.<br />
May I never forget that thy eye always sees,<br />
thy ear always hears,<br />
thy recording hand always writes.<br />
May I never give thee rest until Christ is the pulse of my heart;<br />
the spokesman of my lips,<br />
the lamp of my feet.<br />
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Bennett, Arthur. <i>The Valley of Vision A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions</i>. East Peoria: Banner of Truth, 2009.WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-5100635636318479062011-07-21T10:30:00.000-06:002011-07-21T10:30:54.767-06:00Spiritual Depression: Being Sucked in by The World....a Worship Leader's PerspectivePsalm 73 was a Psalm written by Asaph, a professional worship-leader. It chronicles his struggle with the world and the lack of limitations on those that don't follow God. You can hear in his voice (in this song) his depression as sometimes following his beliefs instead of the liberty he sees around him in the world. In verse 13 he starts a pity-party of how he has "acted" in such a way that honors God and leads others, yet he still struggles.<br />
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We all, who follow Jesus, find ourselves in times like this. We start measuring our Christian actions against the world, measuring our purity and "sanity" with that of the world around us. We forget that the key to our spiritual walk is not perfection in a pure heart, but in the relationship and worship of the One who gives that purity in spite of what's in our heart. It's not whether or not we find ourselves worshipping idols at times in our lives, because we all will..., it's whether or not we realize it and try to burn them, returning to a worship of only God and Him alone. It's not whether or not we find ourselves at times chasing other things that make us happy, for we all will..., but that when we realize what we are doing, we return to the only relationship that can truly make us whole.<br />
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There is only one way, in my journey, that can insure that I "catch" myself when drifting off-course:<br />
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*** <b>Are we playing a part in God's story or are we inviting God to play a "bit-part" in ours?</b><br />
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When God is a piece of our story, it allows us to add other idols to our mix of "what makes me happy." We put our relationship with God on a shelf with all kinds of other idols, measuring the happiness factor of different idols, switching from one to the other in an attempt to keep life elevated. I know that to be true because it is my struggle.<br />
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When we decide to play a bit-part in God's story, we become part of something bigger than ourselves...part of a story that started with Creation and will end with the coming of The Lamb and our complete Justification. It's a story that crowds out, by it's very existence in our daily life, all other idols. It does this by our surrender to being a background actor to God's story and looking at life around us, realizing that the world just doesn't realize they are in God's movie...they still think they are writing a personal movie about them.<br />
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It makes me feel better to read Psalm 73, seeing another Worship Leader that struggles with what he sees around him in the world. I know that I could make more money, get more happiness if I would just live like the world...but the Holy Spirit, luckely, keeps me in check and reminds me that I am a part of God's story...He is not just a part of mine. He IS my story....and so I try to live my life reflecting His story....The Gospel.<br />
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I will fall, I will stray, I will find myself off-course....may I always be quickly reminded who this story is truly about....and it's not ME!WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-75718232610797237892011-07-03T06:10:00.000-06:002011-07-03T06:10:49.522-06:00A Visit to Dry Bones....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1blu7TBam_8s4HeY-DNgU63iSmwaEDv_mHayI7Gm6HL2HL3ScO6VZZ6k97d_7M3yp__4a-qMKb4UpWw59n78Etp6cM1uCHJni2Cn4sOMYi5Ff_h1rlZ1Nvw5s1G0KOTF07ZY2MMWmmh8/s1600/main_image_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1blu7TBam_8s4HeY-DNgU63iSmwaEDv_mHayI7Gm6HL2HL3ScO6VZZ6k97d_7M3yp__4a-qMKb4UpWw59n78Etp6cM1uCHJni2Cn4sOMYi5Ff_h1rlZ1Nvw5s1G0KOTF07ZY2MMWmmh8/s320/main_image_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My oldest son, Carson, has been wanting to work with the homeless in Denver in some way. He also wants to explore avenues to lead his friends to working with them. So we started a journey of meetings to investigate different homeless ministries and initiatives in the downtown Denver area.<br />
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Last week we met with Robbie, the Spiritual Director of Dry Bones. I was so taken back from the first impression of this ministry that my heart start pounding. They have "relationship" as their core value. Dry Bones doesn't have an office, they have an apartment, down behind Coors Field (which is also why I like it). They chose an apartment to office out of so that they had a place to offer showers and washing machines to wash clothes, hang out and eat/talk. There is a large kitchen area with a big table where they can have meals with their "friends" as they call the people they serve. This offers somewhat of a taste of homelife and a place to get off the streets for a bit. This is all great stuff...then when you find out that they serve homeless teens, it really tugs at your heart!<br />
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Dry Bones on average has relationships with over 200 homeless teens and youth living on the streets of Denver daily. Their ages range from 12-28. These are kids sleeping on the streets and living their whole lives, not striving for their dreams, but just surviving. Some know Christ, some don't....all need to be loved on!<br />
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Carson and I both were moved by the vision and processes that Dry Bones have in place. I encourage you to visit the website link below and just read some of the stories. We are both excited to be joining them for a street dinner this next Thursday night to get a feel for the ministry. We signed up for their 101 class so that we can be cleared to do hands-on ministry with them on the streets of Denver. I'm looking foward to getting my hands a little dirtier in the gospel story!<br />
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<u><b>visit here:</b></u><br />
http://www.drybonesdenver.org/<br />
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<b><u>From their website:</u></b><br />
<i>Imagine entering a valley where dead things come to life. Bones without flesh suddenly rise up from the earth and receive breath, muscle, and skin. Death becomes life and life walks out forever changed. (Sounds a bit strange, but check out <a href="http://www.drybonesdenver.org/pages/ezekiel37/about">Ezekiel 37</a>.)</i>WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-61621007117637502862011-06-24T06:49:00.000-06:002011-06-24T06:49:52.178-06:00The Story of our Life....Continuing thoughts go thru my mind from Donald Miller's Storyline conference...<br />
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Don made a comment at the conference that I wrote down in quotes, "The erosion of values has brought with it a corresponding erosion of story."<br />
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His thoughts go like this...we are all writing a story with our life, a narrative of a life lived with or without God. We don't have a choice whether to write a story or not...we just are! We get to choose most of the scenes of our story, and even more, choose what kind of character we play in the story. Our biggest choices come when we choose what our character does in each scene....do we want a character that makes the story better, more fulfilling, or a character that ruins the storyline and degrades the moral of the story?<br />
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This has helped me think through a longer-term vision for my own life, asking myself what I want a book to read like at the end of my life. If no one knew me through my life, would there be a worthwhile story to tell? What did I do? What did I change for the better? What lives did I save? What effect did I have on the environment around me? Was I damaging to other stories being written in other lives? Did I help other stories get even better?<br />
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As our values, morals, expectations and principles erode...so goes the story. As we take more agency from God and not share it with Him in always writing a story of the Gospel, the story becomes selfish and uninteresting to the whole of society. Think about it...Bono and other actors get alot of attention when doing social justice work for others...why? Because our society likes stories about Good Guys. Though the media makes you think we like the bad guy, deep down, people like the good guy...the one writing good stories about saved lives. This is an elevation of values and morals and our culture loves to read/hear about it. This is the storyline that Christ-followers should be leading the charge on...."saved lives" (spiritually and physically).<br />
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So as followers of Christ, why do we put down the pen of life? Why do we let others write our story, or worse, choose a character that ruins the story in the long-run? The obvious answer is "sin"....but that's the easy way out and blames it on something out of our control. We DO have the ability to choose our character's actions in the story about us. Do we want a character that has high morals and values and seeks to change other's lives or one that is constantly ruining the story? What if The Terminator had chosen to give in to the machines and just kill humanity? Would that have sold tickets? What if Rocky decided to teach ballet? Who wants to watch that?<br />
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What is my character want to do with God in shared-agency with Him? What lives can I change/save? How could my character actually screw up the story if I'm not careful? What is my story about? How does my character make other stories better, not worse?<br />
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These are huge questions to ask, overwhelming....but then again, life is huge...we live it once. What are you writing with your life?WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-54297571270183484942011-06-17T07:47:00.000-06:002011-06-17T07:47:18.173-06:00Shared Agency with God (more thoughts from Storyline...)Sometimes we can develop a fallacy of theology because of the twisting of single passages of scripture...ie. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Many Christians today believe that there are two things that happen in their life....those totally determined by free-will (their own choosing), and those that God orchestrated by His will. Donald Miller introduced a term to me at his conference that really struck home with my life story and decisions. It's the concept of "Shared Agency."<br />
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This basically means that WE have a say in our story/decisions, and so does God. We are both writing a story that impacts the journey of our life. God is writing an epic of human existence, failings and redemption (or not, by our choice). We get to choose to be part of that story by sharing our agency (free-will) with his epic writing. Most churches today present the Gospel as <i>"us inviting God to be part of our life."</i> This is a theological landmine and totally inaccurate. The better salvation presentation phrase is, <i>"God is inviting you to be part of His story."</i><br />
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This morning I was ready Psalm 91....toward the end it says:<br />
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<i>If you make the Most High your dwelling -</i><br />
<i> Even the Lord, who is my refuge -</i><br />
<i>then no harm will befall you -</i><br />
<i> no disaster will come near your tent.</i><br />
<i>For he will command His angels concerning you</i><br />
<i> to guard you in all your ways;</i><br />
<i>they will lift you up in their hands,</i><br />
<i> so that you will not strike our foot against the stone.</i><br />
<i>You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;</i><br />
<i> you will trample the great lion and the serpent.</i><br />
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Because he loves me, says the Lord. "I will rescue him;</i><br />
<i> I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.</i><br />
<i>He will call upon me, and I will answer him;</i><br />
<i> I will be with him in trouble.</i><br />
<i> I will deliver him and honor him.</i><br />
<i>With long life will I satisfy him</i><br />
<i> and show him my salvation.</i><br />
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Besides this being a huge comfort to me right now in my own journey....I noticed that what God promises is NOT unconditional! There is a shared-agency, where we decide to do something and He responds to us with something. Go back through that section and read each <b>"if"</b> and <b>"because"</b>....those are basically conditions where we CHOOSE shared-agency with God in our journey. This is a great hidden truth in all of teaching as well at churches today. We have taken the "ifs" and "conditions" out of God's promises. A reading of the Gospels and Jesus' red-letter words show that there are expectations of Shared-Agency.....certainly promises for our Father, but those come with submission to His teaching and Words.<br />
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But why would we choose anything else but Shared-Agency with the Creator of everything? Wouldn't that create the best possible story for our life and the best impact on others?WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-77103384361423341232011-06-13T06:07:00.000-06:002011-06-13T06:07:57.943-06:00Parades, Marching or Watching?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y6u3ar6M-jstAiwCbwuRc5cOdzwPx4RWpc6zSmyfWq2ME77PpL_V3d1iWEifjqNlXhtckK9QVbzn42piDgQs2s88DdCp_MsBXXknEC9Zv1EDqRZQYAIVk_WBx61BfQST1dXCMhu_P4I/s1600/alg_scooby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y6u3ar6M-jstAiwCbwuRc5cOdzwPx4RWpc6zSmyfWq2ME77PpL_V3d1iWEifjqNlXhtckK9QVbzn42piDgQs2s88DdCp_MsBXXknEC9Zv1EDqRZQYAIVk_WBx61BfQST1dXCMhu_P4I/s320/alg_scooby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I've always loved parades!....at least for the first 30 minutes or so. Then, after while all the floats, all the bands, all the clowns, start looking the same.<br />
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Donald Miller has a friend named Bob that started a neighborhood parade with his kids that now has grown into an annual event that includes hundreds people. They have one standing rule: "You can't watch the parade!" Everyone has to be in it, participate, NOT watch. Bob understands that the real joy comes from producing the parade and experiencing it from the inside, not from the outside as an observer.<br />
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If I think of my life as a parade, so far, then I realize that there have been times where I am producing the parade and times where I've been an observer. The facets of time where I was marching in the parade, producing something of my life, are the times that still define me today. The times where I stood back and let life dictate my parade, are in many ways, painful to me.<br />
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The metaphor gets better when you think about standing on the side of a street watching a parade go by....with each float, band, etc.....you are hoping for a new excitement, something that will thrill you or make you feel happier. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.....so goes life if you are an observer of it. If you take your place IN the parade and make the float, music, march that you want.....then there is a constant joy in producing that which is YOURS, not someone elses. When you get tired of a certain cadence, then make plans (with God) and change the cadence....the point is to be involved in the parade, not just watch.<br />
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I was recently in Portland, OR. This is commonly known as HELL to right-wing activists. To tell you the truth, it's the nicest place I've ever visited. People truly are friendly to everyone. The homeless are fed, you get a greeting at every store. Not just the typical, "thank you sir", but an honest, "hey, how's your day going so far?"......literally EVERYWHERE you go. It did occur to me, and my son, that this is how Christians are supposed to feel to everyone else that encounters us....this is what loving everyone looks like in a small way....this is being in the parade. Portland is organic, messy and real. It's a place where people decide to participate in solutions and not just talk about them or vote on them......if we have a food problem, they start a community farming initiative. If we have energy cost issues, the start using green energy. Instead of standing on the side of the road critiquing the floats, they get in there and build one themself.<br />
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What if followers of Christ decided to always be in the parade with an action and not just a verbal belief? What if instead of critiquing the culture's floats, bands and clowns, we got in there and built our own float or made our own music... (we already have enough clowns on tv:)<br />
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All this starts with each one of us, you and me, decide to stop critiquing all the other entrants in the parade and get in there with our own float, music, clown. We have to decide on a personal level that we are going to be part of a solution somewhere for someone.....make a difference in the world, work for a cause that Christ would want us to work for....something besides critique....something that leaves dirt under your nails. Something that leaves a life changed in your wake.<br />
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This all comes back to the main question from The Storyline Conference....what story are you writing with your life?<br />
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Are you watching or are you marching?WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-64938350562084193862011-06-12T07:45:00.000-06:002011-06-12T07:45:49.177-06:00Lessons from Donald Miller's Storyline - #1...Spent 2 days with my oldest son, Carson, in Portland, OR. We went to Donald Miller's Storyline Conference.....this was like drinking from a firehose! I unpack a couple of points I was journaling on this morning. There will be more to come from this series of thoughts:<br />
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1. We WILL all write a story. There is no way to NOT write a story with your life. The narrative of your life can be written by you and God together (Shared Agency), or you can let the world/circumstances write your story. Do you want to let external influences/idols write your epitaph or do you want to be in control of writing that under the guidance of God? Just remember, there is no "non-decision" here...everyone writes a story whether they want to or not....what will yours be?<br />
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2. To write a good story, there has to be 1. a character that wants something, 2. they have to overcome some trial or feat to get that thing, 3. Conflict in getting it, 4. Resolution. Good stories have conflict in them....trials....hard things to overcome, otherwise they are not good stories. If you want a good life-story, what you go for should include having to overcome a larger feat.....God can help with this....He brings resolution.<br />
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3. To write a good story you can't "watch the parade". I always like going to parades and watching them go by. Problem is, in life, parade-watchers are not the ones writing good stories....you have to "be in the parade" to write a good story. There are no parade watchers among those changing peoples lives, saving the world, making a difference.....all of these people are IN THE PARADE.<br />
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Don's blog: http://donmilleris.com/2010/01/01/living-a-good-story-an-alternative-to-new-years-resolutions/ <br />
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More to come later......WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-82806362071441261922011-04-17T06:43:00.000-06:002014-08-21T21:47:18.245-06:00Revisiting Tozer.....I've decided to reread a book that meant a great deal to me in my early walk as a Christ-Follower. As I stumbled along early in my faith, this book gave me depth to my goals and perspective....depth I feel that I want to taste again. Here are a couple of thoughts from Chapter 1 of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-God-Study-Guide/dp/1600661068/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303042179&sr=8-1"><i>The Pursuit of God</i></a> by <a href="http://www.awtozerclassics.com/page/page/4891818.htm">A.W. Tozer</a>. It's a timeless classic and must-read for anyone seeking God.<br />
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1)<b><i> "The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. <u>Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego</u>. Christ may be 'received' without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is 'saved,' but he is not hungry or thirsty for God. In fact, he is specifically taught to be satisfied and is encouraged to be content with little."</i></b><br />
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This Passage screams to me of the American Church, generally speaking. We have instituted a system where church attendance and offering of finances pays the debt of worship and passionate discipleship. We believe our "duty is done" when we regularly open the front door of the worship center, when we are seen with our fellow believers on-site. What we miss is the transformation of ourselves internally. We can sing, listen, pray and give without ever changing the blackness of our hearts. We can love Jesus with our words, never loving him with our actions. We can speak of God at the same moment as we stroke our sin. We can allow worship and sin to be both brought to the alter without ever wanting to change...our "safety net" being Grace and "once saved always saved." <br />
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I don't want to sound like a legalist here, for Grace conquers all. But even Paul said that "just because of Grace, we don't keep on sinning." I think what Paul meant here was not that we <u>make ourselves</u>, by force, stop something we are doing wrong...but that if we are truly in the presence of God continuously, seeking Him, pursuing Him, there's no way we CAN keep on sinning. We strive for purity, we strive for light. We resist the devil, as James says, out of love for God and our struggle to stay within earshot of Him.<br />
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This has struck deep in my soul as it relates to relationships around me. That I can week by week, lead others up the hill to the Temple Mount singing, yet not transform how I relate to them. I must always be about transformation in my heart, and then following my words with action. My words mean nothing if not acted upon. My faith is dead without true actions of repentance and deed. My friend and fellow-pastor David pointed out in a recent sermon that when Jesus says to "Love your neighbor" or "Love your enemy", this is not a feeling of love but an acted upon love. This is a place for me to transform with Jesus' help.<br />
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2) <b><i style="color: black;">"When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself. The evil habit of seeking 'God-and' effectively prevents us from finding God in full revelation. In the 'and' lies our great woe. If we omit the 'and' we shall soon find God, and in Him we shall find that for which we have all our lives been secretly longing."</i></b><br />
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I am the worst of sinners, as a Pastor, in wanting God-and. It is easier for me in the church vocation to add God to all my designs and my good plans. I also want to add God to my family, of course....we're in ministry. How does someone like me get so turned around? Simple, desire other things as much as God. Add anything to the mix and call it, "as important to you" as your faith, and you've added a hyphen and a conjunction. It's easy, believe me, I do it all the time!<br />
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My goal needs to be, and is "nothing but Jesus." Not that other things are bad, or we shouldn't enjoy our life and our families, etc...they are to be loved stewarded and guarded but shared. But everything around us can never rise to the same acclamation or need as our need for relationship with Jesus. When other things rise up in our life that feed our souls, it is too easy to put Jesus aside, just for a moment, as we attempt to heal ourselves or satisfy our thirst. Jesus is the living water when we're thirsty, the bread when we're hungry, the sacrifice when we need one. Ironically, we never are able to really prove that we believe He is the only thing, until it's very hard not get involved in the healing process ourselves, becoming our own doctor. May I be better at practicing this truth...thanks Mr. Tozer!<br />
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More next week as I go on to Chapter 2......WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-39979312842230760792011-04-13T11:01:00.000-06:002011-04-13T11:01:16.043-06:00The opposite of what you think....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekjjicT5Zy4LS1LspQR9STOHEAD71F52BOOrxwPyrjm6WGRAmJYVpkDL8vklRcXULkBbJ_f3Bn6HcYPHP0kviZNUFmuy6yWQ2tUAVTU3nIBqls0zBpkqMGGgObB9ZOr5WeeQ6KTRMwe0/s1600/neyheader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekjjicT5Zy4LS1LspQR9STOHEAD71F52BOOrxwPyrjm6WGRAmJYVpkDL8vklRcXULkBbJ_f3Bn6HcYPHP0kviZNUFmuy6yWQ2tUAVTU3nIBqls0zBpkqMGGgObB9ZOr5WeeQ6KTRMwe0/s320/neyheader.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Listened to a talk given by <a href="http://www.neybailey.com/index.htm">Ney Bailey</a> of Campus Crusade. I had never heard of her or read any of her books, but my friend Terry gave me this CD several months ago. I had shoved it in the console of my car and forgot about it. It showed up just when I needed it, as always. Two days ago it appeared and I popped it in the CD player. All I can say is WOW....<br />
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She's one of my new "super-speakers". I'll be going back to her page and talks regularly now. <br />
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Ney's talk that I listened to is on <a href="http://www.startingwithgod.com/struggles/into-negative/">"Bringing God into the Negative"</a>. She helps us understand how to bring God close so that healing can happen in hard times and our perspective can become clearer. Trials can seem like they are bringing life to a screeching halt....or crash. When something bad happens, we always want to react to our feelings (with our feelings) when something happens to us, but Ney gracefully shows us how to react more like Christ when we face a trial in life. As always, it's about DOING these things, not just believing they are true. These are truths I will always remember now when facing some desert to walk thru.<br />
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The article title above has a link so you can read a brief writing on this subject. If you'd like the "talk" on audio...contact me and I'll get it to you. It will bless you tremendously!WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-24580214753817430262011-04-06T11:00:00.000-06:002011-04-06T11:00:04.325-06:00It's OK to Complain!I was reading James this morning. That's a hard book to nod your head "yes" at. He starts off by talking about trials and how we should rejoice when we suffer many of them. Are you kidding me? Jesus' brother goes on to explain that our trials will either produce maturity or not in us, dependent on how we process and work our through the trial. We can focus on our emotions and feelings, following them, resulting in immaturity, or we can accept our trial, give it to God, and let Him lead us through it.<br />
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The consolation for me is in 4:9-10. Seems it's ok for us to grieve, mourn, wail....complain. It's ok to be sad and frustrated...just not ok to follow our own plans. We have to follow His. We have to purify our hearts...check ourself to make sure we're in step with God.<br />
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<i>Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. <u>Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom</u>. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.<br />
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The New International Version. 2011 (Jas 4:7–10). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.</i><br />
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I don't know if it makes the trials easier to wail and mourn, but it sure feels good sometimes!WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-18285723690388686932011-04-06T00:41:00.000-06:002011-04-06T00:41:32.039-06:00Patience can be painful...Reading thru 1 & 2 Samuel on my journey thru the bible this year. David's maintaining of his perspective in the midst of the sin committed against him is baffling to me. As Saul became more and more psychotic, making obvious "crazy" decisions, David still waited on God to decide on Saul's fate. He maintained to everyone around him that Saul was "God's annointed."<br />
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I so often, when I "know" what's right, have a hard time waiting on God's plan instead of working mine. It's especially hard when enemies are are at your doorstep, as David talked about in many Psalms. But it comes down to whether you really trust God or not, or whether you have to have "your say" in what happens. It's when the "Saul's of life are in the cave, right in front of you" when your integrity will show thru or not. Will you take them out, or wait on God's timing? When you have the power to make your will/desire happen, but yield to God's will patiently, where your belief system becomes life.<br />
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Waiting on God is hard. Patience is painful, but I have faith that it builds character...WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-49631615023489832672011-03-26T07:24:00.000-06:002011-03-26T07:24:25.762-06:00Rob Bell's "Love Wins".....a reviewLike I said in my previous blog, I've always liked Rob Bell. He has a knack for making scripture culturally relevant and understandable. I just finished his new book LOVE WINS while on a cruise with my family. To put it plainly...I'm pretty disturbed...and disappointed.<br />
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I've always tried to be open-minded on my journey with Jesus while maintaining a theological rudder....measuring new things I learn or think against what I read in scripture. I just can't get my mind around where Rob has come up with his new theology. A big problem with his book also, in that he has set off a grenade in the evangelical camp with only 100 pages of "thoughts." Something this earth-shattering to so many other God-loving theologians before him, seems to me, to need a more in depth survey. I'll try my best to be concise and limit it to what I think are his two main points.<br />
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1. God is Love. Agree, totally agree, most whole heatedly agree! But it seems brother Rob is making Love the only trait of God....where love trumps everything else. My problem is that I'm reading the bible through this year, front to back, while I was reading his book. I come across all the passages in Genesis through Ruth where God's holiness trumps other things. God tells the Hebrews to wipe out whole towns, cities and civilizations so that His people remain Holy. He has them kill men, women & children that did nothing wrong...all for His holiness. What does that mean in Rob's economy? Not saying God does not love...just saying His will and His holiness is the point, not us all the time. When sacrifices are made incorrectly, death. When rules are not followed, death by stoning. Seems there are many instances where God demands that His holiness be observed even though He loves us.<br />
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So I fear that Rob's "all we need is love" theology water's down our Creator and he has done away with a "balance" of fear and love.<br />
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2. Everybody gets to go to heaven. Wow. Rob does a masterful job of developing the thought that everything will be redeemed via Jesus. No one will get to the Father except thru Jesus, we agree, but his point is that God could be working through Buddhists, Muslims, in other ways.....that "all things are possible with God." That it's a mystery. I agree that I don't have it all figured out and I will be surprised in the end to see what God is doing...but come on dude! Rob has holes in many things he says regarding salvation of everyone. He takes passages like Matthew 7 (road to life is narrow that few find, road to destruction is wide that many find...) and reduces them to choices in daily life. ie. Choose a poor way in your marriage and your marriage could be destroyed..the wide path. Few choose Godly ways, narrow ways, which lead to "life" in your life journey. (this was verbally explained in his talk which can we watched here.)<br />
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I just see to many times where God's primary mission isn't just "love". His plan and his will trump many people's other plans and even their lives sometimes. <br />
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These are two main points I see in Rob's treatment. Again, he needs a larger survey of the topics so that he can prove/teach his point. It's very disappointing for someone with such a large following to not feel more responsible for teaching this in depth if it's going to cause so many waves. Being shocking for the sake of being shocking is not a good reason to write something like LOVE WINS.<br />
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I have alot of other opinions after reading thru scripture while reading different sections of his book....but debate is not a good form in blogs. I will just rest in giving my opinion to the few that read this in hopes it spurs questions...for I feel we need to really question what this book teaches. It's nothing personal against Rob, I don't know him....but this is dangerous ground for a teacher of the Word.<br />
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I suspect you'll see less of Rob at conferences and in evangelical circles. He has again been shocking in his teaching, but this time it's heretical in my opinion. I can't get there. I don't see it in the Bible. Which makes me sad as a Rob Bell fan.<br />
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My vote: Wait for the movie....WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16791895067485757.post-1643033488935217042011-03-18T06:02:00.000-06:002011-03-18T06:02:51.895-06:00Rob Bell - Love Wins (Step 1)I've always loved Rob Bell's teachings....have used his NOOMA videos for illustrations or small groups. He had an "angle" in looking at scripture that lead to the same place but approached it culturally or realistically for me.<br />
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I watched the <a href="http://www.livestream.com/lovewins/video?clipId=pla_9997e760-b88d-4294-91a8-142e5ed1c619&utm_source=lslibrary&utm_medium=ui-thumb">video of his interview</a> last night explaining his new book LOVE WINS. I was bothered by the dangling questions that were left unanswered by Rob. The first thing I want to make sure of is that I'm not, myself, relying on tradition for my answers, but relying on scripture for them. For that reason, I'm looking forward to reading the book and weighing it against the theology I can read in the Bible itself. Whether I agree with Rob or not in the end, I will go thru a very healthy process that will make my own personal theology stronger.<br />
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I want to think the best of Rob and his teaching, but I will admit that I was left "bothered" by the interview....so, downloaded the book on my NookColor, going on a trip with the family next week and will read it for myself.....Step 2 to come....<br />
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Video link is above, watch it for yourself.WorshipDudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07437245521997633740noreply@blogger.com0