Thursday, October 13, 2011
I'd Rather Be Fed Than Led
If I’m going to be honest, sometimes being a leader of people isn’t much fun. There are days I would rather volunteer for dental experiments than lead people. Don’t get me wrong, there are tons of great things about being a leader, but the bad things seem to stay with you longer. I know you’re not reading this to hear me complain, and I’m not writing it to complain either, so I had better get to my point.
Even though I’m a leader, I am also a follower. I am a follower of Jesus Christ! I also have spiritual leaders and systems that I follow. I have found that when I’m frustrated about something, I can usually find a similar problem in my personal life. So, when I’m having leadership issues, I try to look at where I’m being led. As I’ve been doing this lately, I’ve uncovered an uncomfortable truth about myself: I’d rather be fed than led.
The good news is that God gives me some comfort in His Word by letting me know that I’m not the only one that has ever been this way. Check out Israel after leaving Egypt:
1The whole community of Israelites moved from Elim and came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. This was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt. 2In the desert the whole community complained about Moses and Aaron. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only the LORD had let us die in Egypt! There we sat by our pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted! You brought us out into this desert to let us all starve to death!” Exodus 16:1-3 GWT
Israel decided they had had enough of this following stuff. They were done being led, and now it was time to be fed! They didn’t want to go anywhere or do anything, they just wanted to be gratified. They wanted to be fattened. They wanted to be fed.
As Christians, we all need to be fed. We all need to go to God’s Word for life, strength, and direction. We need to be fed. But, if we decide we only want to be fed, and not led, we get fat, lazy, and unable to follow like we should.
I know it may not seem like it at times, but God is trying to take you somewhere. He is trying to transform you into His image every day. He is trying to accomplish eternal things through what you see as a simple life. He is trying to lead you. But He can’t take you anywhere is you’re not willing to go…
I think what God has been telling me, and I’m passing on to you, is that we shouldn’t worry so much about being fed as we do about being led. If we’re following Him, He’ll take care of our feeding. Psalm 23 says He’ll lead us by green pastures, but we won’t get there if we’re not following.
So, what are you waiting for?? Get up and follow Him!!! He’s trying to take you somewhere incredible! He’s trying to accomplish something eternal!! But He can’t get you there if you won’t leave the dinner table…
So, let’s go! I’m right there with you! Jesus, you lead, and we’ll follow!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Unlikely Compassion
The other day I was reading the story of The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, and I saw something there that I had never seen before and I wanted to share it.
First off, let me say how incredible God’s Word is! I love how a story that I have literally heard hundreds of times can come to me with new life and fresh vision. God’s Word is never dull. It is never routine. It is never predictable. It always speaks to you in a new way if you’re willing to listen to it. It’s a pretty amazing book… I can’t think of anything else like it!
So, let’s get back to The Good Samaritan. We all remember this story. I’ve seen enough flannel-graph presentations on this one that I can almost feel that white felt board if I close my eyes. But don’t let familiarity water this story down for you. Check it out with an eye to see something new.
So basically, a guy gets beat up and left for dead while he is on his way to Jericho from Jerusalem, when some people pass by. The first two guys are people of authority. The priest was a man of religious and political power, and the Levite was a man of God’s Law as well as an assistant at the Temple in Jerusalem. Both of these guys could have helped the man in need. They had the money to help out. They even had authority to get others to help him. But they were too concerned with their own business, and left the guy to suffer and potentially die.
Then along comes The Good Samaritan. This guy would have been seen as an outcast in this part of the world. The Samaritans were not quite Jews, and they were not quite Gentiles. They were a religious and racial mix of both. In this part of the region, this Samaritan would have been a total outcast. He would have been overlooked, ignored, despised, and reviled because he was in Jewish territory, but wasn’t fully a Jew. He was more likely to be the guy beaten and left for dead than the guy that comes along to help.
So this Good Samaritan picks the guy up, and puts him on his own donkey. The Samaritan is now left to walk for the rest of the day, which I’m sure slowed him down, and maybe even made him come up short on how far he wanted to travel that day. He takes the man to an inn, cares for him through the night, and then leaves enough money with the innkeeper to nurse the beaten man back to health. He makes sacrificial moves to help. He acts in a selfless compassion. He helps someone who could not help himself. And the Samaritan doesn’t care if he was the best person for the job, or if he makes the newspaper for doing it. He does the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
So, how does this relate to you? What was the new thing that jumped out at me?? When we see a person in need, we usually figure that there are people of authority that will help them. We think that the priest or the Levite passing by will give them a hand. We think the government will do it. We think the big church down the street will do it. We think the rich folks will do it. We think that certainly, if there is a genuine need, someone will help them out. We are wrong…
Since when does God use the likely candidates to solve a problem or fill a gap? He uses 15-year-old shepherds. He uses 8-year-old kings. He uses camel-hair-wearing, bug-eating wild men. He uses Christian-hating Pharisees. He uses the people that are the least likely to be thought of as the right person for the job. He uses the outcast. He uses the under-qualified. He uses the middle-class and the poor. He uses the uneducated. He uses the people that most of society would over look.
My guess is that one, two, or most of these things describe you. Do you know what that means? That means that God wants to use you!! That means that He can make a difference in someone’s life using whatever it is that you bring to the table. That means that no one has to think you’re capable or qualified as long as He does… And He does think you’re qualified!
The Samaritan didn’t do a lot of fancy things to help. He just did what he could. He acted in compassion. He did what he could, using what he had.
Do you want to make a difference? Do you want to impact the Kingdom of God?? Let God put His compassion in you. Let Him move you in kindness. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Give attention to a child from a difficult situation. Show a little love. Give someone a smile. Move in God’s compassion!!
Compassion is all you need. You don’t need to have money. You don’t need to have a title in your church. You don’t need to have political pull. You don’t need to have a wall lined with degrees. Compassion is all you need. Christ’s compassion in you can make the difference.
What are you waiting for?? Get out there and love somebody. It might be exactly what they need to have their wounds healed and health restored. God’s compassion is most powerful when it comes from unlikely sources, and seemingly unqualified people… And that is probably you!! Get out there and show some love!!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Beautiful & Broken
My plane has just taken off and I’m al little overwhelmed emotionally. I always leave a piece of my heart everywhere I go, and in every place I minister, but this was very different. There really isn’t enough of my heart to go around here. I am certainly leaving a piece of myself here.
The best way I can describe Haiti is Beautiful & Broken. Port Au Prince is amazingly huge, with tons of life and people. The mountains to the East and the sea to the West create a serene and majestic feeling at times. But as beautiful as it is, it is very broken…
Literally right around the corner from the house where we stayed, are two house completely flattened in the earthquake on January 12, 2010. They still lay as a pile of rubble. No rebuilding. No cleanup. No life. Unfortunately, there is still much to be done in Port Au Prince. Those two houses are just a few amongst the many uninhabitable buildings. Haiti is certainly Beautiful & Broken.
We visited five orphanages, and we saw children with fear and hopelessness in their eyes. We heard horror stories of children orphaned by the quake. We met children that had been trapped under rubble from the quake. We met children that had been kept as slaves. We met children that had been violently and repeatedly sexually abused. We met so many broken children that even as a write this I am having a hard time containing my emotions. No one ever deserves to be mistreated, but children, of all people, should never have to endure this kind of neglect and abuse. We met children that, just by looking into their eyes, you could see that they had already lived a lifetime… and they were only 9 years old. There was a terrible amount of brokenness.
Yet, there was beauty as well. Mixed into all of the mess and the hurt and the brokenness, there was life and beauty. We met children that, even though they had been given every reason to give up, they had hope in their eyes. These kids had been given love, and they had responded to that love with hope. These kids had been given the food they so desperately needed, both physically and spiritually.
I held a little girl that was given away by her prostitute mother, and no one knows who her father is. And I had so much fun playing with that girl. She had an amazing and funny personality. Despite language and cultural barriers, when I gave here a hug and held her in my arms, the beauty inside of her exploded to the surface. She had been abandoned. She had been malnourished. But she had been loved. And love was what she needed.
At that same orphanage, I met an 11-year-old girl that was the size of a 4 or 5 year old. She had been so malnourished that she became sick and simply would not grow. But once she had been brought into that orphanage, and had been loved, fed, and taught about the hope that only Christ can give, her beauty had come out. Her face was almost glowing as she smiled and hugged us.
At the very first orphanage we went to, a little girl wanted me to hold her. I was the pastor. I was there to give love to those kids. Of course I picked her up. What happened next will forever be etched into my brain. When I picked her up, she leaned into my shoulder, put her arms around my neck, and began to stroke the back of my hair like I do when hugging my children. The kids of this orphanage had only recently been rescued from the streets, and were still very fear-filled and tentative. But this little girl wanted me to hold her, not so much so she could be loved, but so she could give love. This little 3 or 4 year old girl taught me so much about love as she tenderly ran her hands through the back of my hair and pushed her cheek into my shoulder. Love is a two-way street. As much as she and the other kids like her need to be loved, they need to express love as well.
I have spent the last two days holding children, playing with children, asking their names and ages, tickling them, and pretending to bite their fingers. I gave so much love in the last few days. But I think I received so much more than I gave. I saw so much hope in the eyes of these children that literally have nothing, that I could not help but have a spring of hope rise up in me. Love is simply amazing. Love makes the broken beautiful.
This was an incredible object lesson in the mercy, grace, hope, and love that Christ gives to me. I learned in these few days, that God’s love is enough. God’s love of certainly sufficient. God’s love is amazing. God’s love can make any situation beautiful.
Haiti is broken, but God is doing something beautiful there. Where His love is being displayed, hope is rising. Where His hand is being extended in compassion, beauty is rising. Where a meal is prepared, or an orphan taken in in His name, Haiti is rising. Haiti is Broken. Haiti is Beautiful.
The best way I can describe Haiti is Beautiful & Broken. Port Au Prince is amazingly huge, with tons of life and people. The mountains to the East and the sea to the West create a serene and majestic feeling at times. But as beautiful as it is, it is very broken…
Literally right around the corner from the house where we stayed, are two house completely flattened in the earthquake on January 12, 2010. They still lay as a pile of rubble. No rebuilding. No cleanup. No life. Unfortunately, there is still much to be done in Port Au Prince. Those two houses are just a few amongst the many uninhabitable buildings. Haiti is certainly Beautiful & Broken.
We visited five orphanages, and we saw children with fear and hopelessness in their eyes. We heard horror stories of children orphaned by the quake. We met children that had been trapped under rubble from the quake. We met children that had been kept as slaves. We met children that had been violently and repeatedly sexually abused. We met so many broken children that even as a write this I am having a hard time containing my emotions. No one ever deserves to be mistreated, but children, of all people, should never have to endure this kind of neglect and abuse. We met children that, just by looking into their eyes, you could see that they had already lived a lifetime… and they were only 9 years old. There was a terrible amount of brokenness.
Yet, there was beauty as well. Mixed into all of the mess and the hurt and the brokenness, there was life and beauty. We met children that, even though they had been given every reason to give up, they had hope in their eyes. These kids had been given love, and they had responded to that love with hope. These kids had been given the food they so desperately needed, both physically and spiritually.
I held a little girl that was given away by her prostitute mother, and no one knows who her father is. And I had so much fun playing with that girl. She had an amazing and funny personality. Despite language and cultural barriers, when I gave here a hug and held her in my arms, the beauty inside of her exploded to the surface. She had been abandoned. She had been malnourished. But she had been loved. And love was what she needed.
At that same orphanage, I met an 11-year-old girl that was the size of a 4 or 5 year old. She had been so malnourished that she became sick and simply would not grow. But once she had been brought into that orphanage, and had been loved, fed, and taught about the hope that only Christ can give, her beauty had come out. Her face was almost glowing as she smiled and hugged us.
At the very first orphanage we went to, a little girl wanted me to hold her. I was the pastor. I was there to give love to those kids. Of course I picked her up. What happened next will forever be etched into my brain. When I picked her up, she leaned into my shoulder, put her arms around my neck, and began to stroke the back of my hair like I do when hugging my children. The kids of this orphanage had only recently been rescued from the streets, and were still very fear-filled and tentative. But this little girl wanted me to hold her, not so much so she could be loved, but so she could give love. This little 3 or 4 year old girl taught me so much about love as she tenderly ran her hands through the back of my hair and pushed her cheek into my shoulder. Love is a two-way street. As much as she and the other kids like her need to be loved, they need to express love as well.
I have spent the last two days holding children, playing with children, asking their names and ages, tickling them, and pretending to bite their fingers. I gave so much love in the last few days. But I think I received so much more than I gave. I saw so much hope in the eyes of these children that literally have nothing, that I could not help but have a spring of hope rise up in me. Love is simply amazing. Love makes the broken beautiful.
This was an incredible object lesson in the mercy, grace, hope, and love that Christ gives to me. I learned in these few days, that God’s love is enough. God’s love of certainly sufficient. God’s love is amazing. God’s love can make any situation beautiful.
Haiti is broken, but God is doing something beautiful there. Where His love is being displayed, hope is rising. Where His hand is being extended in compassion, beauty is rising. Where a meal is prepared, or an orphan taken in in His name, Haiti is rising. Haiti is Broken. Haiti is Beautiful.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Radical... and Needed!
That’s what I was going to say!… But I didn’t know how to say it, and David Platt said it far better and with richer experience that I ever could have in his book, Radical
This book was like the deep part of God crying out to the deep part of me. I realize that everyone that reads Radical will be an individual, with individual preferences and experiences, but this was definitely a God-timed read for me.
I needed this. I needed to know that its okay to question the way things have been traditionally viewed and done when it comes to compassion ministry, missions, and personal finances… And trust me, this book will challenge you in each of these areas and more. This book marks an opportunity for each of us to answer God’s call to go higher and do more.
We commonly refer to Christianity as a “walk with God,” but most of the time, we are content to walk nowhere and stay right where we are. This book will challenge and encourage you to take a step forward. Hopefully, it will challenge us all to take several steps forward, and embrace a New Testament, Biblical Christianity.
Radical is not about going to church, it is about being the church. It is about each of us doing the work of the ministry to the best of our ability. Radical is a call away from passivity in the Christian church, and I know that this was a message I definitely needed to hear.
I will admit that some of what David Platt said made me uncomfortable… it made me question my Christian life… and that is exactly what I needed. Radical did not make me feel good, and I’m glad it didn’t.
I read another review for this book that told people not to read this book if you were prone to feeling guilty. I want to ask, does this book make you feel guilty, or convicted? Guilt is a bad thing, but guilt is our decision. Guilt is how we process negative information,. Its not the fault of the information!
Conviction is a gift given to us by God. Without conviction, we would have never understood our need for Christ. Without conviction, we would have never sought salvation. Without conviction, we would never grow in God… We would never move forward in our “walk.” We need God-brought conviction, and Radical is full of this type of conviction.
As far as I’m concerned, every Christian should read this book. If it makes you uncomfortable, good! If it makes you question your Christian life, excellent!! I know that’s what it did to me, and I’m thankful that God gave me the gift of being able to move forward because I read this book.
Take a look for yourself by reading the first chapter: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601422217&view=excerpt
Or, watch a video about Radical (its long, but check it out): http://www.livestream.com/waterbrookmultnomah/video?clipId=pla_a5fa3067-0103-4e5c-93fd-f95218bc8ebb
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
This book was like the deep part of God crying out to the deep part of me. I realize that everyone that reads Radical will be an individual, with individual preferences and experiences, but this was definitely a God-timed read for me.
I needed this. I needed to know that its okay to question the way things have been traditionally viewed and done when it comes to compassion ministry, missions, and personal finances… And trust me, this book will challenge you in each of these areas and more. This book marks an opportunity for each of us to answer God’s call to go higher and do more.
We commonly refer to Christianity as a “walk with God,” but most of the time, we are content to walk nowhere and stay right where we are. This book will challenge and encourage you to take a step forward. Hopefully, it will challenge us all to take several steps forward, and embrace a New Testament, Biblical Christianity.
Radical is not about going to church, it is about being the church. It is about each of us doing the work of the ministry to the best of our ability. Radical is a call away from passivity in the Christian church, and I know that this was a message I definitely needed to hear.
I will admit that some of what David Platt said made me uncomfortable… it made me question my Christian life… and that is exactly what I needed. Radical did not make me feel good, and I’m glad it didn’t.
I read another review for this book that told people not to read this book if you were prone to feeling guilty. I want to ask, does this book make you feel guilty, or convicted? Guilt is a bad thing, but guilt is our decision. Guilt is how we process negative information,. Its not the fault of the information!
Conviction is a gift given to us by God. Without conviction, we would have never understood our need for Christ. Without conviction, we would have never sought salvation. Without conviction, we would never grow in God… We would never move forward in our “walk.” We need God-brought conviction, and Radical is full of this type of conviction.
As far as I’m concerned, every Christian should read this book. If it makes you uncomfortable, good! If it makes you question your Christian life, excellent!! I know that’s what it did to me, and I’m thankful that God gave me the gift of being able to move forward because I read this book.
Take a look for yourself by reading the first chapter: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601422217&view=excerpt
Or, watch a video about Radical (its long, but check it out): http://www.livestream.com/waterbrookmultnomah/video?clipId=pla_a5fa3067-0103-4e5c-93fd-f95218bc8ebb
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
Monday, March 14, 2011
Current Events...
So, I've been asked several times lately (especially in the last few days) what I think about the world's current events. People are wondering about the Second Coming of Christ. People want to know if I think these are the End Times.
My overall perspective on the End Times is: The only thing I can really do is give my life completely to serve God and serve others, and whatever happens, happens.
Maybe this is an overly simple perspective, but I figure that none of my calculating, speculating, or guessing is going to make things happen any differently, so I will just live my life in Ready Mode!
For a little more info about the Second Coming of Christ, check out this link:
http://ag.org/top/beliefs/our_core_doctrines/second_coming/
On it, you'll find a few videos from the Assemblies of God about the Second Coming. The first two choices are from George Wood, the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. The "Sermon Lead-In" is just a shorter version of the "Complete Teaching" video. Then there are two more options that can give you a little more info. I hope you find it helpful!
Let me leave you with the beginning of Psalm 46. It reminds us to put our trust in God, no matter what is happening around us!
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
That is why we are not afraid even when the earth quakes or the mountains topple into the depths of the sea.
Water roars and foams, and mountains shake at the surging waves.
Psalm 46: 1-3 GWT
My overall perspective on the End Times is: The only thing I can really do is give my life completely to serve God and serve others, and whatever happens, happens.
Maybe this is an overly simple perspective, but I figure that none of my calculating, speculating, or guessing is going to make things happen any differently, so I will just live my life in Ready Mode!
For a little more info about the Second Coming of Christ, check out this link:
http://ag.org/top/beliefs/our_core_doctrines/second_coming/
On it, you'll find a few videos from the Assemblies of God about the Second Coming. The first two choices are from George Wood, the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God. The "Sermon Lead-In" is just a shorter version of the "Complete Teaching" video. Then there are two more options that can give you a little more info. I hope you find it helpful!
Let me leave you with the beginning of Psalm 46. It reminds us to put our trust in God, no matter what is happening around us!
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
That is why we are not afraid even when the earth quakes or the mountains topple into the depths of the sea.
Water roars and foams, and mountains shake at the surging waves.
Psalm 46: 1-3 GWT
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Jeremiah 29:11, By The Numbers
I want to drop a really weird thought on you…
I was up last night to get a drink of water and I had a very strange thought. For those of you who know me well, you understand that it is not strange for me to have a strange thought… in fact, its pretty normal. But normally, I don’t have them at 3am (because I’m not actually sure that my brain works at that hour).
The scripture, Jeremiah 29:11 popped into my head as I was heading up the stairs. I wrote it down here, just in case you’re not familiar with it:
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 GWT
As I thought of this well known verse, my mind drifted to the word “plans” in a way that it never really had before. Usually, when I read this verse, I like to focus in on the fact that God’s plans for me are filled with peace, hope, and a future. I think its fair to say that most of us think the same way! Every once in a while, we get really holy, and we think about the fact that God loves us enough to have a plan for our lives…pretty cool thought! But last night, I thought of those plans by the numbers…
At the church that I pastor, the last Sunday morning count we took said we had 200 adults in the building. I started to wonder how far back God had been planning so that all of those people could be there. I started to wonder how many people and how many decisions it had taken over the years to get everyone in that building, at that time. I wondered how many people had been involved in God’s plan over the last 200 years to accomplish that group of 200 people. I started to look at Jeremiah 29:11 By The Numbers!
WARNING!! I’m about to go a little math-nerd on you here, but stay with me!
We had 200 adults here that day, but you and I both know that families come to church together. Since we are talking about ancestry here, we’re going to remove 1/3 of those people. We’re going to work with 133 as our base number.
We’re also going to say that a generation reproduces every 25 years. Some people will go with 20 years for that, but I wanted to be conservative with this so it doesn’t look exaggerated. So, that’s 8 generations over the last 200 years to get 200 adults into our church building that Sunday.
So, let’s do the math!! If it takes 2 people to produce 1 person, then our number of people doubles with each generation that we move back. So, if we take 133 and move it back 8 generations, then it took 17,024 people to produce that 133 people! That’s a lot!!
But it gets even better!! Because we are talking about separate generations, each set of numbers is a distinct group. That means that we can add each of those 8 generations together to get the total number of people involved over 200 years to produce those 200 people. Drum roll please!!… The grand total is 33,915 people over 200 years, or 8 generations!
God had worked together the plans of 33,915 people over the course of 200 years to bring 200 adults to our church a few weeks ago! That means that when we think about God’s plans for us, He didn’t just dream them up yesterday! He’s been working on them for years! He’s been working on them for 33,915 people and 200 years!! He’s been working His plan for you for longer than you or I could ever understand!! If those numbers don’t blow you away, wait until you see where we go next!
People are more than just a body. People make decisions! So, for 200 adults to be in our church, there were a lot of decisions made over those 200 years to make that happen. Let’s be super conservative and say that each person involved in this 200 year plan made 4 decision per day (we both understand that we make that many decisions before breakfast, but lets just go with 4 per day). With 365 days each year for 200 years, and 33,915 people involved, and 4 decisions per day, that means that 9,903,180,000 decisions were made to get 200 people to church. If you’re having a hard time counting commas and zeros, that’s over 9.9 billion decisions!!
God didn’t start his plan for you yesterday! God’s plan has always been in action! And YOU have always been a part of that plan! He didn’t just dream you up a few days before you were conceived. He has put over 9.9 billion decisions into getting you and 199 of your friends where you are right now. He has had His plan for you working for longer than you’ll ever know…
As impressive as it is to see how God planned to include you in His kingdom, look at what can happen when we look at God’s future plans by the numbers! If each of those 200 hundred people makes just 1 decision, they can radically effect the futures of many, many people.
If each of those 200 people makes a decision to try to bring 1 person to Christ every 6 months, amazing things will begin to happen!! 1 person every 6 months really isn’t that much, but it will take effort. It will take 1 very important decision.
If those 200 people win 1 person for Christ every 6 months, and the people who come to Christ do the same, we get some crazy numbers. If we multiply that out over 8 generation (we’re using 8 generations because that’s what we used to look back), which is only 3 ½ years, we have 25,600 people in the Body of Christ because of 1 decision made by 200 people…
The numbers show that you’ve been a part of God’s plan… All 33,915 people and 9.9 billion decisions over the last 200 years.
The numbers show that you can be a big part of God’s plan… 25,600 people serving Christ because of 1 decision made by 200 people.
You’ve seen Jeremiah 29:11, God’s plan, by the numbers. Now, what are you gonna do about it?
I was up last night to get a drink of water and I had a very strange thought. For those of you who know me well, you understand that it is not strange for me to have a strange thought… in fact, its pretty normal. But normally, I don’t have them at 3am (because I’m not actually sure that my brain works at that hour).
The scripture, Jeremiah 29:11 popped into my head as I was heading up the stairs. I wrote it down here, just in case you’re not familiar with it:
I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 GWT
As I thought of this well known verse, my mind drifted to the word “plans” in a way that it never really had before. Usually, when I read this verse, I like to focus in on the fact that God’s plans for me are filled with peace, hope, and a future. I think its fair to say that most of us think the same way! Every once in a while, we get really holy, and we think about the fact that God loves us enough to have a plan for our lives…pretty cool thought! But last night, I thought of those plans by the numbers…
At the church that I pastor, the last Sunday morning count we took said we had 200 adults in the building. I started to wonder how far back God had been planning so that all of those people could be there. I started to wonder how many people and how many decisions it had taken over the years to get everyone in that building, at that time. I wondered how many people had been involved in God’s plan over the last 200 years to accomplish that group of 200 people. I started to look at Jeremiah 29:11 By The Numbers!
WARNING!! I’m about to go a little math-nerd on you here, but stay with me!
We had 200 adults here that day, but you and I both know that families come to church together. Since we are talking about ancestry here, we’re going to remove 1/3 of those people. We’re going to work with 133 as our base number.
We’re also going to say that a generation reproduces every 25 years. Some people will go with 20 years for that, but I wanted to be conservative with this so it doesn’t look exaggerated. So, that’s 8 generations over the last 200 years to get 200 adults into our church building that Sunday.
So, let’s do the math!! If it takes 2 people to produce 1 person, then our number of people doubles with each generation that we move back. So, if we take 133 and move it back 8 generations, then it took 17,024 people to produce that 133 people! That’s a lot!!
But it gets even better!! Because we are talking about separate generations, each set of numbers is a distinct group. That means that we can add each of those 8 generations together to get the total number of people involved over 200 years to produce those 200 people. Drum roll please!!… The grand total is 33,915 people over 200 years, or 8 generations!
God had worked together the plans of 33,915 people over the course of 200 years to bring 200 adults to our church a few weeks ago! That means that when we think about God’s plans for us, He didn’t just dream them up yesterday! He’s been working on them for years! He’s been working on them for 33,915 people and 200 years!! He’s been working His plan for you for longer than you or I could ever understand!! If those numbers don’t blow you away, wait until you see where we go next!
People are more than just a body. People make decisions! So, for 200 adults to be in our church, there were a lot of decisions made over those 200 years to make that happen. Let’s be super conservative and say that each person involved in this 200 year plan made 4 decision per day (we both understand that we make that many decisions before breakfast, but lets just go with 4 per day). With 365 days each year for 200 years, and 33,915 people involved, and 4 decisions per day, that means that 9,903,180,000 decisions were made to get 200 people to church. If you’re having a hard time counting commas and zeros, that’s over 9.9 billion decisions!!
God didn’t start his plan for you yesterday! God’s plan has always been in action! And YOU have always been a part of that plan! He didn’t just dream you up a few days before you were conceived. He has put over 9.9 billion decisions into getting you and 199 of your friends where you are right now. He has had His plan for you working for longer than you’ll ever know…
As impressive as it is to see how God planned to include you in His kingdom, look at what can happen when we look at God’s future plans by the numbers! If each of those 200 hundred people makes just 1 decision, they can radically effect the futures of many, many people.
If each of those 200 people makes a decision to try to bring 1 person to Christ every 6 months, amazing things will begin to happen!! 1 person every 6 months really isn’t that much, but it will take effort. It will take 1 very important decision.
If those 200 people win 1 person for Christ every 6 months, and the people who come to Christ do the same, we get some crazy numbers. If we multiply that out over 8 generation (we’re using 8 generations because that’s what we used to look back), which is only 3 ½ years, we have 25,600 people in the Body of Christ because of 1 decision made by 200 people…
The numbers show that you’ve been a part of God’s plan… All 33,915 people and 9.9 billion decisions over the last 200 years.
The numbers show that you can be a big part of God’s plan… 25,600 people serving Christ because of 1 decision made by 200 people.
You’ve seen Jeremiah 29:11, God’s plan, by the numbers. Now, what are you gonna do about it?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
How GOOD is Good Enough?
If you’ve never asked yourself this question, then you’re probably doing it right now! Andy Stanley does an excellent job of giving an answer in his book, Since Nobody’s Perfect… How GOOD Is Good Enough?
This is a very short book, and a really quick read (its less than 100 pages, and the pages are TINY!), but don’t let that make you think there’s nothing to it! Andy Stanley asks the questions that few people are asking. like: How fair is fair? How good is good? Do fair and true mean the same thing? … Pretty deep stuff for a little book!
This book is written to a non-Christian, and it does a very good job of balancing the arguments, as well as asking and answering the hard questions. And even though the questions are tough, Andy Stanley manages to give some pretty simple answers. This would be a great book to give to someone who is asking questions about religion and faith!
This is also a great book for Christians! Sometimes we can overlook the basics of our faith, and then when someone asks a difficult question, we draw a blank. This book is like shooting drills in junior high basketball… You’ve got to have the basics down is you’re gonna do well in the game!
If for no other reason, grab a copy of How Good Is Good Enough just to read the last chapter (you could even skip to it, but the book is short enough that you shouldn’t have to!). The way Andy puts grace and mercy into perspective is soooooo simple, but sooooo powerful!
So now you have a choice: Finish this review and move on to checking your Facebook account (because we all know that‘s what you‘re gonna do next!), or take a second and check out an excerpt from the book. If you pick Door #2, click the link below… You’ll be glad you did!
http://www.multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/How_Good_Is_Good_Enough_Andy_Stanley.pdf
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
This is a very short book, and a really quick read (its less than 100 pages, and the pages are TINY!), but don’t let that make you think there’s nothing to it! Andy Stanley asks the questions that few people are asking. like: How fair is fair? How good is good? Do fair and true mean the same thing? … Pretty deep stuff for a little book!
This book is written to a non-Christian, and it does a very good job of balancing the arguments, as well as asking and answering the hard questions. And even though the questions are tough, Andy Stanley manages to give some pretty simple answers. This would be a great book to give to someone who is asking questions about religion and faith!
This is also a great book for Christians! Sometimes we can overlook the basics of our faith, and then when someone asks a difficult question, we draw a blank. This book is like shooting drills in junior high basketball… You’ve got to have the basics down is you’re gonna do well in the game!
If for no other reason, grab a copy of How Good Is Good Enough just to read the last chapter (you could even skip to it, but the book is short enough that you shouldn’t have to!). The way Andy puts grace and mercy into perspective is soooooo simple, but sooooo powerful!
So now you have a choice: Finish this review and move on to checking your Facebook account (because we all know that‘s what you‘re gonna do next!), or take a second and check out an excerpt from the book. If you pick Door #2, click the link below… You’ll be glad you did!
http://www.multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/How_Good_Is_Good_Enough_Andy_Stanley.pdf
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Over The Counter Culture- Intro to the March 2011 Sermon Series @ Mt Calvary
Our new series at Mt Calvary is not for the weak. It is not for those who are looking for the status quo. It is not for those who are looking to blend in.
Over The Counter Culture is a call to rebel against the culture of the world around us. It is a call to stand against the lies that our society feeds us. It is a call to embrace the Culture of Christ. It is a call to do, and to be, something different.
In this series, we are going to expose four of the lies that our culture feeds to us. We accept these lies as an Over The Counter remedy for the problems we face. And, unfortunately, to often we swallow these lies.
In this series, we are going to approach our Great Physician, Jesus Christ. We are going to let Him write us a new prescription so we can set aside the Over The Counter Culture that we have embraced.
In this series, I will be your pharmacist. I will help you fill the prescription of the Great Physician. I will help to expose the lies of our society, and help you embrace the Counter Culture of the Culture of Christ.
You don’t wanna miss what is happening at Mt Calvary! If you can’t make it this Sunday, check out our website each week to listen to or download the audio from each message.
mcfwc.org
Over The Counter Culture is a call to rebel against the culture of the world around us. It is a call to stand against the lies that our society feeds us. It is a call to embrace the Culture of Christ. It is a call to do, and to be, something different.
In this series, we are going to expose four of the lies that our culture feeds to us. We accept these lies as an Over The Counter remedy for the problems we face. And, unfortunately, to often we swallow these lies.
In this series, we are going to approach our Great Physician, Jesus Christ. We are going to let Him write us a new prescription so we can set aside the Over The Counter Culture that we have embraced.
In this series, I will be your pharmacist. I will help you fill the prescription of the Great Physician. I will help to expose the lies of our society, and help you embrace the Counter Culture of the Culture of Christ.
You don’t wanna miss what is happening at Mt Calvary! If you can’t make it this Sunday, check out our website each week to listen to or download the audio from each message.
mcfwc.org
Monday, February 14, 2011
Ready To See The Sun Stand Still!
I just finished Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick, and all I can say is WOW!!
I picked this book the other day with the intent to get it started, but it got me started!! I read 2/3 of the book in one sitting… I literally couldn’t put it down!!
This book isn’t incredible because it is theologically deep. It’s not life changing because of the new revelations that it contains. I think what makes it amazing is that it is really simple. (I love a “deep” read, and even though this isn’t one, it won’t let you down!) This book didn’t reveal new biblical information to me. It didn’t give me deeper incite into the historical or sociological events of the Bible. It did, however, light a fire in my heart to see God make history in the world today!
Steven Furtick looks at the event that in Sunday School we called, “Joshua’s Long Day.” The day that the sun stood still so that the battle could be completed. He weaves in some of his incredible personal story, and in the end, you are left amazed at how much more capable God is that we generally give Him credit for.
Here’s an excerpt:
I could write about this book all day, but it would probably be easier for you to check it out. I’m attaching a couple of links so you can see for yourself.
At the risk of sounding like some kind of slimy salesman, you should definitely add this book to your reading list! Its that good!
To check out a quick excerpt:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601423221&view=excerpt
You can download the first 25 pages if you click this one:
http://multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/SneakPeekSunStandStill.pdf
Click this and you’ll see a quick video from Steven Furtick as he talks about Sun Stand Still faith:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/04/26/video-audacious-faith-as-explained-by-pastor-steven-furtick/
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
I picked this book the other day with the intent to get it started, but it got me started!! I read 2/3 of the book in one sitting… I literally couldn’t put it down!!
This book isn’t incredible because it is theologically deep. It’s not life changing because of the new revelations that it contains. I think what makes it amazing is that it is really simple. (I love a “deep” read, and even though this isn’t one, it won’t let you down!) This book didn’t reveal new biblical information to me. It didn’t give me deeper incite into the historical or sociological events of the Bible. It did, however, light a fire in my heart to see God make history in the world today!
Steven Furtick looks at the event that in Sunday School we called, “Joshua’s Long Day.” The day that the sun stood still so that the battle could be completed. He weaves in some of his incredible personal story, and in the end, you are left amazed at how much more capable God is that we generally give Him credit for.
Here’s an excerpt:
“This book is not a Snuggie.
The words on these pages will not go down like Ambien.
I’m not writing to calm or coddle you.
With God’s help, I intend to incite a riot in your mind. Trip your breakers and turn out the lights in your favorite hiding places: insecurity and fear. Then flip the switch back on so that God’s truth can illuminate the divine destiny that may have been lying dormant inside you for years. In short, I’m out to activate your audacious faith. To inspire you to ask God for the impossible. And in the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential.”
I could write about this book all day, but it would probably be easier for you to check it out. I’m attaching a couple of links so you can see for yourself.
At the risk of sounding like some kind of slimy salesman, you should definitely add this book to your reading list! Its that good!
To check out a quick excerpt:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601423221&view=excerpt
You can download the first 25 pages if you click this one:
http://multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/SneakPeekSunStandStill.pdf
Click this and you’ll see a quick video from Steven Furtick as he talks about Sun Stand Still faith:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/04/26/video-audacious-faith-as-explained-by-pastor-steven-furtick/
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review
Thursday, January 20, 2011
A Letter To Phil
I know there are a lot of books in the Bible, and I know we all have our favorites. Some of us stick to the Gospels because we love to read about Jesus and what He did. Others of us like the Old Testament stories of war and victory, so there’s a lot of Joshua & the Samuels being read. Then there’s a group that is obsessed with End Times prophecies, so they stick to Daniel, Revelation, etc. But there are a lot of small books that we overlook… We don’t give them too much attention unless they support our point or argument. The Apostle Paul wrote one of these books (really it’s a letter) to his good buddy Phil (Philemon).
Philemon is a really short letter. Paul gets right to the point! He starts off by thanking Phil for his generosity and love, but then Paul asks for a favor. Paul asks Philemon to reinstate the membership of a wayward brother, Onesimus. Really, Onesimus was a runaway slave…. And not just any slave, he was Philemon’s slave! In those days, you didn’t just bring back runaway slaves, you killed them!! So Paul’s request is kind of a big deal!
Here’s what hit me like a ton of bricks while I read this: Paul doesn’t just ask Philemon to take Onesimus back and put up with him or tolerate him. Paul isn’t asking for mercy or leniency. Paul asks Phil to love the runaway! He doesn’t just say “Don’t kill him,” Paul asks Philemon to treat him like a brother. He asks for Phil to show him love!
Paul even goes on to say that if Onesimus owes anything to Philemon, to charge it to him! Check it out:
If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it. Philemon 18-19a NLT
Paul says that he will personally pay Onesimus’ debt!
Recently, I was in a class on childhood development, and the teacher said something that has stuck with me. She said that troubled children don’t need to be tolerated. They don’t need our patience… They need our love! They don’t need to be “put up with,” they need to be adored. They need to know that there is someone in this world whose face lights up when they enter the room. They need to be the object of someone’s affection.
I think that is the way Paul looked at Onesimus, and that is what he was asking Philemon to do.
That is the way Jesus looks at us. He doesn’t just tolerate us. He doesn’t put up with us. He is not simply patient with us. He adores us! His face lights up when He thinks of us! He loves us!! He has even said, just like Paul, “Whatever debt they owe, charge it to me… I’ll pay for it!”
What a humbling thought it is to know that Jesus loves imperfect and impure people with a perfect and pure love. We are so undeserving…. But so thankful!!
Philemon is a really short letter. Paul gets right to the point! He starts off by thanking Phil for his generosity and love, but then Paul asks for a favor. Paul asks Philemon to reinstate the membership of a wayward brother, Onesimus. Really, Onesimus was a runaway slave…. And not just any slave, he was Philemon’s slave! In those days, you didn’t just bring back runaway slaves, you killed them!! So Paul’s request is kind of a big deal!
Here’s what hit me like a ton of bricks while I read this: Paul doesn’t just ask Philemon to take Onesimus back and put up with him or tolerate him. Paul isn’t asking for mercy or leniency. Paul asks Phil to love the runaway! He doesn’t just say “Don’t kill him,” Paul asks Philemon to treat him like a brother. He asks for Phil to show him love!
Paul even goes on to say that if Onesimus owes anything to Philemon, to charge it to him! Check it out:
If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it. Philemon 18-19a NLT
Paul says that he will personally pay Onesimus’ debt!
Recently, I was in a class on childhood development, and the teacher said something that has stuck with me. She said that troubled children don’t need to be tolerated. They don’t need our patience… They need our love! They don’t need to be “put up with,” they need to be adored. They need to know that there is someone in this world whose face lights up when they enter the room. They need to be the object of someone’s affection.
I think that is the way Paul looked at Onesimus, and that is what he was asking Philemon to do.
That is the way Jesus looks at us. He doesn’t just tolerate us. He doesn’t put up with us. He is not simply patient with us. He adores us! His face lights up when He thinks of us! He loves us!! He has even said, just like Paul, “Whatever debt they owe, charge it to me… I’ll pay for it!”
What a humbling thought it is to know that Jesus loves imperfect and impure people with a perfect and pure love. We are so undeserving…. But so thankful!!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Review of SOUL PRINT
So, I've recently started a new "job." I'm reviewing Christian books, and posting my reviews online. the best part is that they "pay" me with free books to review!!
So, I just finished reading SOUL PRINt by Mark Batterson. I'm pasting in my online review below. This really is a book that everyone should read!!
SOUL PRINT would be considered typical Mark Batterson, if Mark Batterson could be in any way considered typical. I'm convinced that he could write about soil composition and keep it interesting enough to sell books!
In SOUL PRINT, Mark Batterson talks about a couple of the buzzwords we hear and use in the Christian world: identity and destiny. Even though these are pretty common terms, SOUL PRINT takes a very different look at them.
Through the life of David, we see that our identity isn't just who we are now, but it is also who we have been, and who we are going to become... And God is interested in us seeing His point of view about all three! SOUL PRINT helps us find how God wants to redeem our past, possess our present, and direct our future... He loves every part of us, and our destiny is wrapped up in understanding that!
As far as I'm concerned, every Christian should have this book on their reading list (I am a Pastor, and I am planning on buying a copy for every new Believer in our church!). New Christians and "seasoned saints" will find something for them in SOUL PRINT. This absolutely is a must read!!
So, I just finished reading SOUL PRINt by Mark Batterson. I'm pasting in my online review below. This really is a book that everyone should read!!
SOUL PRINT would be considered typical Mark Batterson, if Mark Batterson could be in any way considered typical. I'm convinced that he could write about soil composition and keep it interesting enough to sell books!
In SOUL PRINT, Mark Batterson talks about a couple of the buzzwords we hear and use in the Christian world: identity and destiny. Even though these are pretty common terms, SOUL PRINT takes a very different look at them.
Through the life of David, we see that our identity isn't just who we are now, but it is also who we have been, and who we are going to become... And God is interested in us seeing His point of view about all three! SOUL PRINT helps us find how God wants to redeem our past, possess our present, and direct our future... He loves every part of us, and our destiny is wrapped up in understanding that!
As far as I'm concerned, every Christian should have this book on their reading list (I am a Pastor, and I am planning on buying a copy for every new Believer in our church!). New Christians and "seasoned saints" will find something for them in SOUL PRINT. This absolutely is a must read!!
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