Preaching

I got a call from a dear friend who invited me to fill his pulpit in a few weeks.

Over the last few weeks I have thinking and praying about preaching being used more in ministry.

This Sunday I am filling in for one of our Elder's Sunday school class.

I really feel called to work with a small church pastoring and preaching.

I don't know what this will look like totally but I am trusting God to see it through.

Stand with me and pray for His will.

Maturity

This morning's message really got me thinking today....(Good job Pastor Ross)

Ross talked about growing in maturity. He talked about our growth in the Gospel. Our growth does not come from a check list or a "7 step secret"...do this and you will succeed.

For along time I heard a lot about doing the right things in the right formula and God must bless you or answer you....

But it is not about human effort. Does growth take work? Yes I believe it does. But it is not a simple check list that by human effort we achieve our sanctification. It is taking the time and wrestling with the deep things of God. Of knowing who we are and who He is. It is His Holy Spirit communing (back and forth) with our Spirit...(being born again, it is that same Spirit).

In that back and forth, we grow. We see things in the light of Christ. We see things in the mind of Christ. We see things past a mere conversion. We move to a place of a deeper understanding of Gospel.

The Gospel is not a state of salvation. It is the greatest story ever told. It is relationship between God and us. When He said the tabernacle of God is with men...his tent is right in the middle of our lives. His Kingdom is all around us.

Growing in God is bigger than learning moral teaching and completing a list.

What is it God wants to do in your life that you are resisting?

Ambushed

Have you ever wondered how and why God loves us?

Despite our dark sins, despite our feeble prayer life, our inconsistent discipleship, our what ever......

He loves us. He dares us to doubt the love he has for us.

Thank you that you love me. Thank you that you died for me. Thank you that despite my dark sin, my feeble prayer life, my inconsistent walk as a disciple and my discipleship....you love me.

Jesus, I love you. I am not lovable but I love you.

Blaise Paschal wrote..."God made man in His own image....and man returned the favor"

Let me never think lowly of you my God, my savior.

I am yours. I am a bruised reed that you will not break. I am a smoldering wick that you will not snuff out...

Doves - the return

This morning I started to get frustrated. I was looking through some things and some feelings of anger, resentment...etc...etc...

Out of no where The Doves that were such a blessing in mine and Liz's life return. They sat outside our window and sang to us.

God knows our need, before we need it. God knows how to reveal Himself to us in ways we will understand.

I have had some awesome encounters with God that I understood, though others may not. But I think God can and does reveal Himself in diverse ways so that we understand and will not miss the Message.

The Message of a Redeemer. A Message that He goes before us and is our rear guard. A Message that He owns the Cattle on a thousand hills.

Thank you El Shaddai....

Hold Me

Just when you think you have something beat. It comes back.

I hate myself sometimes. I hate that I struggle with lust and drinking. I hate that sometimes I want to get sloshed until I can not feel my face. I hate that I find myself lusting over women who are not my wife.

But they are still there. Today I went and played golf. I loved it. I was really craving a cold beer. I saw the beer cart start my way. The struggle in me began until I almost wanted to puke. All of a sudden she turned and went a different way. I was glad and mad at the same time.

As I was telling Liz latter of my failure and struggle she asked was it around 12:45? I told her yes. She said she got a message that she was being prayed for at that time. She told this friend she did not know if it what it was for. I began to weep.

God loves me. Also, God likes me.

God help me to stay pure and sober. Forgive me for my failures and short comings. Help me to remember that you love me furiously. Thank you for letting me run to you and be held.

I am tired

I have just about worked in to a frazzle. I am tired and exhausted to the point where I forget things.

I have to find the balance of when to stop and when to keep going.

I love what I do.

I got to eat lunch with a pastor friend today who is a wonderful man. He inspires me to be a better person. (Thank you James)

As I sit here rambling on I am listening to Brennan Manning. I love his guy. He has help me to learn that not only does God Love me, he actually likes me.

Short note - but wanted to put it down.

Reflection

Brennan Manning has a way to make me look at myself and my walk. Brennan Manning tried all sorts of things to try and make God Love him. He finally discovered that God has a furious love for him, they way he was.

I am learning that lesson. I am learning that Abba is mine, and I am His. I belong to Abba. He desires me.

I have thought of going and doing for God, to have God love me more....but I dont have to do those things. God loves me like I am. He loves me with my scars, imperfections, weaknesses and sins.

I belong to Abba, He loves me.

Raising its ugly head

Well,

My nemesis is back, or at least it reminded me it is there. My big two. I guess the stress and worry of dad and other things has stirred them up. I don't like seeing my daddy sick.

No, nothing has happened. I have not drank. I have not strayed. But the thoughts and temptations are there.

One way to explain it is to quote Jeff Foxworthy..."I want a beer, and I want to see something naked."

I have been reading more from Mother Theresa. I am reading about worshiping in silence and reflection. It helps.

Driving home today I listened to Jimmy Swaggart on a Palestine radio station. Hearing him sing and play helps.

I look forward to church tomorrow. It helps.

Catholic Stuff

Yesterday I went to Mother Frances to visit a new born baby. As I was leaving I felt the Lord leading me to go to the Chapel and pray. I have learned and am learning to obey. The chapel at TMF is beautiful. If you have never visited it, it is pretty. I have counseled folks before there. I have spent other times in prayer there.

While there I picked up a tract about the Rosary. I found it interesting because it explained "praying the rosary." I found it an interesting way to teach people to pray and to teach the fundamentals of the faith. Of course I don't pray to Mary nor do I think one should. I don't disrespect Mary, I think we should obey her and "do what ever he tells us" as she told the wedding party at Cana.

As I looked over the tract, I like the way it explains the mysteries. I also appreciated the art work in the tract that explained the Gospel Message.

I think in the protestant church we have lost some of the mystery of our faith. We rely less on the arts and being comfortable with the unknown. I think we should allow God to give us wonder. We should be wowed by what he does. I think we should be able to express that in the arts and with poetry.

Just some rambling thoughts....

The Doves

I was having a rough day. Lots of emotions running too and fro. As I pulled into my driveway and I saw the doves again. They were sitting in my rock garden. They sat their even as I pulled in the drive and parked.

I felt comfort of God. I felt the presence of God. I felt the peace of God. I felt the promise of God.

Thank you Jesus.

Doves

This afternoon I was sitting in my front yard reading my bible. I looked up in a tree across the street and I saw two doves. They were beautiful. As I sat watching them I began to reflect on doves in the Bible.

I thought of the passage in Genesis where the dove brought back the twig to Noah. Showing Noah that hope was near.

In Genesis 15 during the covenant agreement with Abraham, God instructed Abraham to have a Dove, left whole, beside the sacrifice.

In the baptism of Jesus, a dove was used to describe the falling of the Holy Spirit.

Here God has used them to show hope, promise and His presence. As I reflect this season of life these two doves brought me comfort. They showed me that there is hope, that His promises will be fulfilled and He will be with me.

Dont Let Me Peek

We are to walk by faith and not by sight. I believe it. I teach it. Lord Help me live it. Help me not peak and to continue by faith. The stuff I "see" the stuff I think I control, is scary.

I have read Psalm 37 a lot over the last week or so. I find its words so helpful. I have looked at it in multiple translations. Each one is beautiful and helpful.

Father Keep Your Hands Over My Eyes. Direct my steps. Guide my hands. Calm my fears. Settle my stomach.

I love you Lion of Judah.

Community

Today my son Sam and I went to a cub scout event at Tyler State Park. We had to learn to cook something outside. We were hosted by a group I had never heard of. It was called "The Lone Star Dutch Oven Society." I was a bit skeptical when I first heard of it. I never knew there was a whole society of "dutch oven" people.

I have seen dutch ovens used for years. Through my experience with scouting I have seen all kinds of things cooked in them.

But this was different. We arrived at the Tyler State Park. A large crowd of trucks, vans, RVs, 5th wheels all gathered in a circle. Out of the back of all these various vehicles every kind of out door kitchen you could imagine was set up. People of all ages were slicing and dicing and preparing food. They welcomed the cub scouts into their fold with open arms. The boys were divided up to watch and prepare a meal in a dutch oven. I have never seen so many different sizes of dutch ovens. I thought a dutch oven was a dutch oven.

The gentlemen that Sam was with was great. He was an older gentleman. He patiently and gently showed Sam how to prepare the cake that Sam was working on.

This scene was played out all around the camp. Not only were the cub scouts being helped, but all kids of other people were there who had never done this before were welcomed into the community. They showed them what they were doing. The let them participate in what they were doing. They gave them advice, tips and suggestions on how to get started. There were kids, teenagers and retired people were fellowshiping and having community. They welcomed people into their community and made them feel at home. There was no drinking, no smoking, no profanity nothing that detract. Those not involved in the cooking were walking dogs, riding bikes, walking or just chatting. There was even a central teaching area were the new folks were shown how to make their own dish. At 12:30 everyone brought what they had cooked, put it in a central area and everyone ate. You could sample from any dish that was prepared.

I have no idea the spiritual condition of the people that we met with. Maybe they were believers maybe they were not. Maybe some were and some were not.

Looking at this group I get a sense of maybe what the early church must have been like. People having real incarnational community. Sharing as they had. Helping others grow. Welcoming new people. Fellowshiping and doing community together.

If the early church was like this. Why cant the modern church be like this?

Bad News

I got a call this morning that was sad. The man that lead me to Christ, Pastor Perry Jones died yesterday. He had been in the hospital with a blood clot. He was expected to get better and go home but died suddenly.

When I was 16 years old I had a crush on a young lady named Amanda. It was the summer before I turned 17. She was beautiful, sweet and a christian girl. Being the Suave guy that I am I tried to make my move. But it did not work. She wrote me a letter explaining that she did not date non christian boys. She shared the gospel with me and wrote out a lot of verses. It honestly angered me. I could not understand why she would say that I was not a Christian. I went to church, I went to youth group I did church stuff. What more was involved?

I went to church that Sunday night with the letter and showed it to Perry. You see, Amanda was Perry's niece. My goal that hot summer night was to get Perry to straighten her out. He said we could talk after the service.

After the service we sat down on the back row of the church. Perry then opened up the word to me and it just clicked. I had heard this before many times but this time it just made sense. That being a christian, meant that I had to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and not just go to church and do church stuff. I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart. Perry baptised me that same night.

Perry pastored the same church in Elkhart for I guess 25-30 years. A small work there in my home town.

I would have loved to gone to the funeral or the visitation of the family. Ironically, I am now a pastor and had to go to a funeral visitation and preach a funeral at the same time as his. I think he would understand.

Perry was a rare breed. To pastor in a small town for years. To minister to multiple generations in the same place. To some he would not be "successful". He never had more than 150 in church. He did not have large crowds, flashy presentations, large budgets, multiple staff's, special effects, lights and 6 figure sounds systems.

But he was faithful. He faithfully with conviction shared the greatest story ever told. He faithfully shepherded the flock that God gave him. He faithfully ministered in a small town that time and progress seems to have forgotten.

Perry is now home. Perry's faith is now sight. Well done good and faithful servant.

Hey buddy, can you spare 4 tires?

Along with the cost of our lovable fluff ball (King), I need tires. I have about driven mine down to nothing. When I used to drive a small truck, I could buy 4 tires for like 200 bucks. Now that I have an SUV after wrecking my last truck, tires are like 600 bucks. Incidentally, the wreck was not my fault.

I love my Extera, but why does Nissan have to put some weird size tire that no body stocks and you have to order them on it? I swear I want to meet the designer of some of the parts and just pray for him.....you know lay hands on him?

I hate having stuff snow ball. You try and get ahead and you have 15 things waiting in the wings to just nail you. On top of that Liz's van needs to be aligned. You know, its just money.

I know I am blessed. I know that God has always taken care of us. God has been so faithful. I know all the right verses.

So God, I love you. Thank you for blessing me. I trust you.