Sunday, April 08, 2007
Easter Dress
I have grown up in church and Easter is always on of the Sundays where church is packed. I do not mind it, because Easter should be celebrated more than any other Christian Holiday. Every religious leader can be born, but only one has been resurrected. Now I do not take away from the virgin birth because that is a key element in Christian belief but the resurection is so much more because that is where we have hope over the ruler of this world is defeated.
My problem is this, we get new outfits for Easter for many reasons. One because it represents new life. Two because it is time to wear spring colors. The thing I want to talk about is how we get new outfits come to church but yet our inner being is still unrighteousness.
Every Sunday is suppposed to represent Jesus' resurrection not once a year. People come once a year give God a tip and think they are great. If people are truly blood bought they would actually struggle with the fact that THEY were the ones who put JESUS on the CROSS. Due to that shedding of blood I did not get a easter outfit to wear once but I get a new outfit, a rob of righteousness. How can people just sit by thinking a bunny is the reason but the actual resurrection that gives us hope 1 Cor. 15.
My prayer is that we as believers will not cover our spiritual struggles with new Easter Clothing when nothing is hidden from our Heavenly Father. May we pursue after the bloody, painful, ugly, cross, so we can embrase our robe of righteousness so that the lost world will desire Jesus.
Happy Resurrection Sunday!!!
My problem is this, we get new outfits for Easter for many reasons. One because it represents new life. Two because it is time to wear spring colors. The thing I want to talk about is how we get new outfits come to church but yet our inner being is still unrighteousness.
Every Sunday is suppposed to represent Jesus' resurrection not once a year. People come once a year give God a tip and think they are great. If people are truly blood bought they would actually struggle with the fact that THEY were the ones who put JESUS on the CROSS. Due to that shedding of blood I did not get a easter outfit to wear once but I get a new outfit, a rob of righteousness. How can people just sit by thinking a bunny is the reason but the actual resurrection that gives us hope 1 Cor. 15.
My prayer is that we as believers will not cover our spiritual struggles with new Easter Clothing when nothing is hidden from our Heavenly Father. May we pursue after the bloody, painful, ugly, cross, so we can embrase our robe of righteousness so that the lost world will desire Jesus.
Happy Resurrection Sunday!!!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The Church
"We don't go to church, we are the church that meets in a building."
I heard this statement about two weeks ago and it keeps ringing in my ears. The idea that the building is not the church is something we hear everyday but does one's theology match their language. When your kids say are we going to church, what is your responce. I normally would say yes but now I am realizing we are the church. This is why people can have Film & Theology nights in their buildings because the building is not sacared, that was the Temple before Christ died.
Thank about how people's actions will change if they could realize they as Born Again Belivers are the church. There would be such freedom and possibly lives changed for the Kingdom of God because we are no longer living two separte lives but one. SBC churches are doing a horrible job reaching the lost world, and I am curious how much is contributed to the idea that we as Baptist do not match our language with our theology. If we love Jesus as much as we proclaim from pulpits, why do the people not live it on the outside? We are the church, not the building we meet in, the only way our lost world will want Jesus is if we the church are showing His love for them.
We can not be salt in a salt shaker and think we are doing good. Salt has to be poured out and used. Does your lanuage match your theology?
I heard this statement about two weeks ago and it keeps ringing in my ears. The idea that the building is not the church is something we hear everyday but does one's theology match their language. When your kids say are we going to church, what is your responce. I normally would say yes but now I am realizing we are the church. This is why people can have Film & Theology nights in their buildings because the building is not sacared, that was the Temple before Christ died.
Thank about how people's actions will change if they could realize they as Born Again Belivers are the church. There would be such freedom and possibly lives changed for the Kingdom of God because we are no longer living two separte lives but one. SBC churches are doing a horrible job reaching the lost world, and I am curious how much is contributed to the idea that we as Baptist do not match our language with our theology. If we love Jesus as much as we proclaim from pulpits, why do the people not live it on the outside? We are the church, not the building we meet in, the only way our lost world will want Jesus is if we the church are showing His love for them.
We can not be salt in a salt shaker and think we are doing good. Salt has to be poured out and used. Does your lanuage match your theology?
Sunday, December 10, 2006
SBC Life
THis past week has been one that causes people to think, at least in my life. THis blog will have mispelled words and probably poor grammer since I am writing late at night and my mind is running with a ton of thoughts about the week. If you have any thoughts after reading this leave me a comment or two.
In Southern Baptist Life, this week was rather interesting. In Arlington about 100 ministers got togther for the sole purpose to discuss the stance that some SBC organzations have taken and are working on taking dealing with spiritual gifts. One can look at most Blog sights for information about the meetings. The final conclusion that I see is that this group of people is asking for Lifeway to do a research project about like the one dealing with "Calvinism & Arminaism" in SBC life. The goal of the study is to see how many people in SBC life are Continoust, Censsationist, or Semi-Censsations. These terms may be new to you so let me break them down:
Censsationsit - a person who believes that the miraculous gifts are no longer availible to believers in Christ today. They were of the apostles and not for today. They get this because the spiriutal gifts in 1 Cor. says they will stop after they are listed. Then in Romans when the gifts are listed some from 1 Cor. are not mentioned. Due to this and other traditions, tongues, gift of healing, profosing etc. are not longer needed.
Continoust - one who thinks all gifts are in function because the perfect has not come yet, according to 1 Cor. Now this group is wide and big. Some are scared because of the Charsimatic view point of things or the Penticostal point of view. Though after reading the blogs and seeing what some of the men believe that were at this meeting I do not seem them going to that extreme, where tongues is a sign of salvation. Instead it is just one of the gifts that could be practiced still.
Semi-Cen. - I asked somebody else what that was and they could not give me a clear def. on it. SO i have no clue.
When one looks at what is going on sometimes I wonder if the lost world really cares. Here we have a division amongst our body of believers, and well 53% of Baptist Churches did not record a baptism for a teenager last year. 10,000 Southern Baptist churches did not report a baptism period, there is roughly 45,000 Southern Baptist Churches. I never hear a lost person talk about Calvin, Arminian, Continoust, Censsationist, Semi-Cen, worship styles... everytime I listen to a lost person I hear them trying to figure out what is going on in this world. Sometimes I think the enemy is excited that one of the largest prodestant organizations with the most missionaries in the forieng mission field is continously fighting over secondary issues. The beauty of the Baptist Faith & Message is that it is big enough for all these views and still operate with in Orthodoxy.
I said there were two events, the second was a youth ministers forum to discuss how youth ministry is broken, and here are some of the stats. IN 1971 there were the most Baptism resported in SBC life for youth at 100,000 + on in 1983 or so have there ever been 90,000 plus. After graduation 92% of students who grew up in a youth group do not return back to church. As a youth minister or minister period that distrubs me, that is why I have organized ministry different from what I learned under. I was a student in a youth group that did activities every time there was a saturday open. Well my class mates hit the 92% ratio, so what have I done about it. I have realized students want more than games, and I know that because well, islamic and mormon students are getting false doctrin with NO GAMES AND CAN DEFEAT A CHRISTIAN TEENAGER IN A DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE ARE TOO BUSY WITH GAMES AND NOT THE WORD. Again we want to debate secondary instead of teaching people the WORD OF GOD for them to allow the HOly Spirit to Illuminate their lives.
With this said I a man, who is wanting God to move in such a way in the ministries around me that people will realize that this whole thing is not about their agenda. This is about God's agenda, infact in 1 Peter 1:12-13 it shows how the profits were preparing for us today, not for their own lives. My question to you is this, are you to concerned about your own agenda that you miss out on what God is doing amongst His church. My prayer is that if you have read all this you are not asleep or bored but desire to share the word of God, live a life that is desperate for HIS GLORY not yours, and allow God to move in such away that we have to step back and say... well we can say anything but fall on our face as a dead man to worship our KING...
Church people are dieing and going to hell because we who are His Children are not sharing HIs Christmas PResent... or allowing the Power of His Christmas PResent to permiate our lives...because we want to control our God in what He can do... granted the only limitations God has is what He has placed in His word... which means HE CAN NOT LIE... SO Primary.. Salvation through Jesus Christ... Studing God's innerant Word... have a great evening and visit with you later...
In Southern Baptist Life, this week was rather interesting. In Arlington about 100 ministers got togther for the sole purpose to discuss the stance that some SBC organzations have taken and are working on taking dealing with spiritual gifts. One can look at most Blog sights for information about the meetings. The final conclusion that I see is that this group of people is asking for Lifeway to do a research project about like the one dealing with "Calvinism & Arminaism" in SBC life. The goal of the study is to see how many people in SBC life are Continoust, Censsationist, or Semi-Censsations. These terms may be new to you so let me break them down:
Censsationsit - a person who believes that the miraculous gifts are no longer availible to believers in Christ today. They were of the apostles and not for today. They get this because the spiriutal gifts in 1 Cor. says they will stop after they are listed. Then in Romans when the gifts are listed some from 1 Cor. are not mentioned. Due to this and other traditions, tongues, gift of healing, profosing etc. are not longer needed.
Continoust - one who thinks all gifts are in function because the perfect has not come yet, according to 1 Cor. Now this group is wide and big. Some are scared because of the Charsimatic view point of things or the Penticostal point of view. Though after reading the blogs and seeing what some of the men believe that were at this meeting I do not seem them going to that extreme, where tongues is a sign of salvation. Instead it is just one of the gifts that could be practiced still.
Semi-Cen. - I asked somebody else what that was and they could not give me a clear def. on it. SO i have no clue.
When one looks at what is going on sometimes I wonder if the lost world really cares. Here we have a division amongst our body of believers, and well 53% of Baptist Churches did not record a baptism for a teenager last year. 10,000 Southern Baptist churches did not report a baptism period, there is roughly 45,000 Southern Baptist Churches. I never hear a lost person talk about Calvin, Arminian, Continoust, Censsationist, Semi-Cen, worship styles... everytime I listen to a lost person I hear them trying to figure out what is going on in this world. Sometimes I think the enemy is excited that one of the largest prodestant organizations with the most missionaries in the forieng mission field is continously fighting over secondary issues. The beauty of the Baptist Faith & Message is that it is big enough for all these views and still operate with in Orthodoxy.
I said there were two events, the second was a youth ministers forum to discuss how youth ministry is broken, and here are some of the stats. IN 1971 there were the most Baptism resported in SBC life for youth at 100,000 + on in 1983 or so have there ever been 90,000 plus. After graduation 92% of students who grew up in a youth group do not return back to church. As a youth minister or minister period that distrubs me, that is why I have organized ministry different from what I learned under. I was a student in a youth group that did activities every time there was a saturday open. Well my class mates hit the 92% ratio, so what have I done about it. I have realized students want more than games, and I know that because well, islamic and mormon students are getting false doctrin with NO GAMES AND CAN DEFEAT A CHRISTIAN TEENAGER IN A DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE ARE TOO BUSY WITH GAMES AND NOT THE WORD. Again we want to debate secondary instead of teaching people the WORD OF GOD for them to allow the HOly Spirit to Illuminate their lives.
With this said I a man, who is wanting God to move in such a way in the ministries around me that people will realize that this whole thing is not about their agenda. This is about God's agenda, infact in 1 Peter 1:12-13 it shows how the profits were preparing for us today, not for their own lives. My question to you is this, are you to concerned about your own agenda that you miss out on what God is doing amongst His church. My prayer is that if you have read all this you are not asleep or bored but desire to share the word of God, live a life that is desperate for HIS GLORY not yours, and allow God to move in such away that we have to step back and say... well we can say anything but fall on our face as a dead man to worship our KING...
Church people are dieing and going to hell because we who are His Children are not sharing HIs Christmas PResent... or allowing the Power of His Christmas PResent to permiate our lives...because we want to control our God in what He can do... granted the only limitations God has is what He has placed in His word... which means HE CAN NOT LIE... SO Primary.. Salvation through Jesus Christ... Studing God's innerant Word... have a great evening and visit with you later...
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
God is amazing
As i go through this life I am so amazed this great God would even know my name. THen I look at the church and watch people blog stuff about organizations, and pastors, like they know better. I am so amazed how arrogant we get as people when one reads scripture we are sheep of a the Great Sheppard. The idea that one is better than the other amazes me. I think besides deep study of scripture some people need to read a great book by C.J. Mahaney "Humility". There is no way you a sinner made a saint through the blood of Christ can ever be arrogant. I think some men on this blogg stuff need to seek after the face of God and ask for forgiveness.
I pray that for us to be true men of God we have to seek after the face of God and know HIs voice. One can not hear his voice if they are too busy "bahhing" like sheep running to water that kills.
I pray that for us to be true men of God we have to seek after the face of God and know HIs voice. One can not hear his voice if they are too busy "bahhing" like sheep running to water that kills.
Friday, October 13, 2006
How detailed is God?
Alright I don't want to get to Holy on people but let me know your thoughts on this situation.
Tonight my wife and I did something we have not done in a while, go on a date without our daughter. Which is great thing and odd just because we have not done that in like two years, actually go out and not have a church event. That was nice!!!
Well we went to the movies early in the evening to watch "One Night with the King". It is a DVD, and is causing me want to go read Ester. After the movie we walked around in the nice cool evening and we windowed shopped.
After our walk we went to a nice restuarnt that is known for thier cheese cakes. We were enjoying our meal until out of no where I saw a roach. Yes a roach crawling towards my wife. I got up told the employees at this factory about the extra guest. This did not shake us up, but did cause some great table conversation.
Two managers came to talk to us and yes we got our meal for free. We walked away from a $60+ meal for $9.
I thanked God for the blessing of a free meal but I have a question for you. To what point do we see this as an event planned by God?
I am starting to expand my view of God in so many ways. The more I hear God's word preached, and read God's word, the more I realize how amazing He is. To me God allowed us to participate in His blessing by allowing us to have a great meal, for a low price of $9. We were able to enjoy one anothers company and have a great memory. I am able to worship God tonight just over some cheese cake.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Tonight my wife and I did something we have not done in a while, go on a date without our daughter. Which is great thing and odd just because we have not done that in like two years, actually go out and not have a church event. That was nice!!!
Well we went to the movies early in the evening to watch "One Night with the King". It is a DVD, and is causing me want to go read Ester. After the movie we walked around in the nice cool evening and we windowed shopped.
After our walk we went to a nice restuarnt that is known for thier cheese cakes. We were enjoying our meal until out of no where I saw a roach. Yes a roach crawling towards my wife. I got up told the employees at this factory about the extra guest. This did not shake us up, but did cause some great table conversation.
Two managers came to talk to us and yes we got our meal for free. We walked away from a $60+ meal for $9.
I thanked God for the blessing of a free meal but I have a question for you. To what point do we see this as an event planned by God?
I am starting to expand my view of God in so many ways. The more I hear God's word preached, and read God's word, the more I realize how amazing He is. To me God allowed us to participate in His blessing by allowing us to have a great meal, for a low price of $9. We were able to enjoy one anothers company and have a great memory. I am able to worship God tonight just over some cheese cake.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Thinking about things
I am sitting in my office enjoying a good sermon on line just sitting and reflecting about the past week. This past week I have learned how short life is, how good it is to have friends, learned how God is moving in different areas, and read blogs that disturb me.
This past week I went to a funeral which made me reflect on how short life is. This woman that was celebrated was a sweet young lady and was taken HOME at the early age of 47. Her testimony alone is used by God to win more to Christ. My heart goes out to her husband and I just pray that what he preaches about will become real to him and that he can see God's glory in all this through time.
This past week I learned it was good to have friends that are on the same journey I am on. I enjoyed good laughs and deep discussion on what God is doing in their lives. I am so amazed how God works in people's lives to tie them together. There is no reason why all the guys I count as friends should be friends other than we are bought with the blood of Christ. Due to that one amazing fact that puts all in one brotherhood, thank you Jesus.
This past week I read so many blogs that have taken the focus of Christ out of a picture dealing with church. There have been many changes in what one person would call power positions in churches. Basically a generation of pastors and leaders are now being called home and a new generation is take place of many men. The issue that arise is that the person who replace the old generation sometimes comes across difficulty because they may try to change the culture of a church. The idea that church members who are blood bought get up set because a culture is changed really bothers me. If the pastor and leaders are unBiblical or unethical that is a different story, but because culture is changing people want resignations. What needs to happen is everybody needs to get back to the base of the cross and realize that God is the one incontrol of the church and we just need to submit to His authority. I am grieved to hear how people get things out of focuse and the one who suffers is Christ. I plead that people will wake up and let the Holy Spirit work.
Well I am not sure if anybody reads this or not but hey that is cool. Incase you do read this leave a comment so I know you are reading...
Thanks.
This past week I went to a funeral which made me reflect on how short life is. This woman that was celebrated was a sweet young lady and was taken HOME at the early age of 47. Her testimony alone is used by God to win more to Christ. My heart goes out to her husband and I just pray that what he preaches about will become real to him and that he can see God's glory in all this through time.
This past week I learned it was good to have friends that are on the same journey I am on. I enjoyed good laughs and deep discussion on what God is doing in their lives. I am so amazed how God works in people's lives to tie them together. There is no reason why all the guys I count as friends should be friends other than we are bought with the blood of Christ. Due to that one amazing fact that puts all in one brotherhood, thank you Jesus.
This past week I read so many blogs that have taken the focus of Christ out of a picture dealing with church. There have been many changes in what one person would call power positions in churches. Basically a generation of pastors and leaders are now being called home and a new generation is take place of many men. The issue that arise is that the person who replace the old generation sometimes comes across difficulty because they may try to change the culture of a church. The idea that church members who are blood bought get up set because a culture is changed really bothers me. If the pastor and leaders are unBiblical or unethical that is a different story, but because culture is changing people want resignations. What needs to happen is everybody needs to get back to the base of the cross and realize that God is the one incontrol of the church and we just need to submit to His authority. I am grieved to hear how people get things out of focuse and the one who suffers is Christ. I plead that people will wake up and let the Holy Spirit work.
Well I am not sure if anybody reads this or not but hey that is cool. Incase you do read this leave a comment so I know you are reading...
Thanks.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Different thoughts
AS i sit in the middle of my living room having a great time with God... I am so thankful for the family he has blessed me with. My wife and daughter are sleeping in the bed and I am able to meet with God on the floor of my house. In this meeting my mind is running continously.
I am currently on staff at a church in Ft. Worth Texas, and my mind is thinking about that location. I am constantly seeking wisdom on how to allow the people God has given me to grow as disciples to actually accomplish this task. Through my scripture reading, and sermon listening I am always looking for ways to get people to fall in love with my savior more. I never want to miss out on an oppurtunity for people to taste my God.
My mind is preoccupied with other events in life as well. As I am in Seminary and doing what I can to be the man God has called me to be, I can not help it that there is more to life than what people are living. My heart aches as I watch people go through life not desiring all of God. With that said that is why as I am in the thick of the preoccupation of education I hope that I can take what man has written, fliter it through the Word of God and become a minister that will challenge people to live a God life.
I am currently on staff at a church in Ft. Worth Texas, and my mind is thinking about that location. I am constantly seeking wisdom on how to allow the people God has given me to grow as disciples to actually accomplish this task. Through my scripture reading, and sermon listening I am always looking for ways to get people to fall in love with my savior more. I never want to miss out on an oppurtunity for people to taste my God.
My mind is preoccupied with other events in life as well. As I am in Seminary and doing what I can to be the man God has called me to be, I can not help it that there is more to life than what people are living. My heart aches as I watch people go through life not desiring all of God. With that said that is why as I am in the thick of the preoccupation of education I hope that I can take what man has written, fliter it through the Word of God and become a minister that will challenge people to live a God life.
