Today is my son's birthday. It is his 30th birthday. Just typing that makes me feel old. I have the greatest son in the world. He is a godly man who loves and serves Jesus, loves his wife and loves and cares for his daughter. When I found out that we were going to have a child, I began to pray that if the child was a boy that he would grow up to be a man after God's own heart. My son is a man after God's own heart. He is a son even at 30 who greatly honors his parents with the way he lives.
I have been thinking a lot about him and his birth over the last few days. I was reading in 1 John 4 and came to verse nine which says, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son as antoning sacrifice for our sin." I looked at that verse and realized that my son is my one and only son and God loved me enough to give me and you and my son His one and only Son.
There are very few people I would ever even think about giving my son up for. God gave Jesus up for me before I even knew that I had a need for salvation. So today as I celebrate and thank God for my one and only son, I will also praise Him for His one and only Son. I will spend my life serving His Son by letting Jesus Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls of my life.
Joe
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Fitting Jesus In
When Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew were invited to follow Jesus did they come to Jesus to die or to fit Jesus in their schedule.
When Saul on the road to Damascus was confronted by Jesus and become known as Paul. Did this dramatic chage occur in his life so he could come and die or come and fit Jesus into his travel plans.
When I look at the men and women in the New Testament I see people surrendering their lives completely to Jesus. I see them coming to Jesus to die. They died to their plans, their desires, their dreams, and they came alived to what Jesus wanted for them. They came alive to do His will. They also came to Jesus knowing it could mean their physical deaths. It cetainly meant Stephen's death, it certainly meant James' death and eventually Paul and Peter's deaths.
I am asking myself lately why I came to Jesu?. Did I come to just go to heaven? Did I come just so I would be a better person, you know more moral and nicer? Did I come so that God would bless me with a lot of stuff? Did I come to fit Jesus into my schedule? Or did I come to die?
I am asking that question for three reasons. The first one is that I see many Christians today who being a Christians means living the American Dream Jesus style. That Christianity in America seems at times to be a matter of saying a few magic words, getting baptized and then living based on what I want to do and asking Jesus to bless it. I have become very frustrated with that brand of Christianity. I see it alot in our nation and not so much in Christians from other countries.
Second I am scared that I have moved into the kind of Christianity that is about everything, but Jesus. I at times plan ways to do what I want at the expense of doing what God wants. I really want to die to self, take up my cross daily and follow Jesus. I want that but then when God gives me an opportunity to do it I pull back because it is going to cost and I afraid that God won't provide what I think I need to do it.
Third I am tired. I tired of being up and down. I am tired of feeling angry. I am tired of feeling defeated. I am to be honest tried of being tried.
I want to have one pure and holy passion, one magnificent obsession, one glorious ambition for my life to follow hard after Jesus. I want to die to my selfish desires and come alive to God's will. I want God to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls of my life so I can come to Jesus and die.
Joe
When Saul on the road to Damascus was confronted by Jesus and become known as Paul. Did this dramatic chage occur in his life so he could come and die or come and fit Jesus into his travel plans.
When I look at the men and women in the New Testament I see people surrendering their lives completely to Jesus. I see them coming to Jesus to die. They died to their plans, their desires, their dreams, and they came alived to what Jesus wanted for them. They came alive to do His will. They also came to Jesus knowing it could mean their physical deaths. It cetainly meant Stephen's death, it certainly meant James' death and eventually Paul and Peter's deaths.
I am asking myself lately why I came to Jesu?. Did I come to just go to heaven? Did I come just so I would be a better person, you know more moral and nicer? Did I come so that God would bless me with a lot of stuff? Did I come to fit Jesus into my schedule? Or did I come to die?
I am asking that question for three reasons. The first one is that I see many Christians today who being a Christians means living the American Dream Jesus style. That Christianity in America seems at times to be a matter of saying a few magic words, getting baptized and then living based on what I want to do and asking Jesus to bless it. I have become very frustrated with that brand of Christianity. I see it alot in our nation and not so much in Christians from other countries.
Second I am scared that I have moved into the kind of Christianity that is about everything, but Jesus. I at times plan ways to do what I want at the expense of doing what God wants. I really want to die to self, take up my cross daily and follow Jesus. I want that but then when God gives me an opportunity to do it I pull back because it is going to cost and I afraid that God won't provide what I think I need to do it.
Third I am tired. I tired of being up and down. I am tired of feeling angry. I am tired of feeling defeated. I am to be honest tried of being tried.
I want to have one pure and holy passion, one magnificent obsession, one glorious ambition for my life to follow hard after Jesus. I want to die to my selfish desires and come alive to God's will. I want God to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls of my life so I can come to Jesus and die.
Joe
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Running Away
Did you ever run away or feel like running away. I ran away once when I was seven. I got into a fight with a kid in the neighborhood and beat him up pretty good. He threatened to tell my parent so my buddies hid me in an old club house that we played in. I think I stayed there for a few hours got bored and hungry and went home.
Lately I have been thinkinng about running away. I would take Jan cause running away from her would be stupid and lonely. So I would take Jan and go off the grid. We would find some remote mountain cabin, stock up on food and just stay gone. Then we would not have to deal with all the stress of living in the American culture and dealing with people and see all the hurt and brokenness that surrounds us. That sounds appealing to me, but Jesus constantly reminds me that life is not about me, life is about Him.
There is an incident in John 6 that the Spirit reminded me of yesterday as I as planning our running away time table. Jesus shares with the disciples and larger group of people that He is the Bread of Life. In verses 53-54 Jesus says, "I tell you the truth unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Not a teaching that will have everyone running to be your follower. I love it when Jesus shares this off the wall teachings. Jesus would not be the pattern you would use to get people to come to your church.
Believe it or not after hearing this many of Jesus disciples turn away from following Him. In verse 60 one of the disciples says, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it." Then Jesus ask the Twelve if they will also turn away from following Him. Then in verse 68 Peter speaks. Well, who else of the Twelve would possibly speak. Peter is the kid in class who raises his hand every time the teacher ask a question whether he knows the answer or not. This time Peter was right on target. He says, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
So why am I not going to take Jan and run away? Where would I go? Jesus has everything I need and I don't need to run away to get to Him, He is right here with me all the time. There are days that are struggles, I mean real struggles. I see broken and hurting people in my community. In my church I have brothers and sisters with cancer, money problems, parents with children in rebellion, and marriages struggling to make it. Running away will not help change them. Staying and letting Jesus use us as His instruments will.
Jesus is Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls, but it isn't always a comfortable process. It is, however, always a glorious process.
Joe
Lately I have been thinkinng about running away. I would take Jan cause running away from her would be stupid and lonely. So I would take Jan and go off the grid. We would find some remote mountain cabin, stock up on food and just stay gone. Then we would not have to deal with all the stress of living in the American culture and dealing with people and see all the hurt and brokenness that surrounds us. That sounds appealing to me, but Jesus constantly reminds me that life is not about me, life is about Him.
There is an incident in John 6 that the Spirit reminded me of yesterday as I as planning our running away time table. Jesus shares with the disciples and larger group of people that He is the Bread of Life. In verses 53-54 Jesus says, "I tell you the truth unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Not a teaching that will have everyone running to be your follower. I love it when Jesus shares this off the wall teachings. Jesus would not be the pattern you would use to get people to come to your church.
Believe it or not after hearing this many of Jesus disciples turn away from following Him. In verse 60 one of the disciples says, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it." Then Jesus ask the Twelve if they will also turn away from following Him. Then in verse 68 Peter speaks. Well, who else of the Twelve would possibly speak. Peter is the kid in class who raises his hand every time the teacher ask a question whether he knows the answer or not. This time Peter was right on target. He says, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
So why am I not going to take Jan and run away? Where would I go? Jesus has everything I need and I don't need to run away to get to Him, He is right here with me all the time. There are days that are struggles, I mean real struggles. I see broken and hurting people in my community. In my church I have brothers and sisters with cancer, money problems, parents with children in rebellion, and marriages struggling to make it. Running away will not help change them. Staying and letting Jesus use us as His instruments will.
Jesus is Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls, but it isn't always a comfortable process. It is, however, always a glorious process.
Joe
Friday, September 16, 2011
Weddings
I am doing a wedding this afternoon. If you know me you know I am not a great fan of weddings American style. I love marriage, but the way many people go about beginning them in our culture is silly. This wedding is small and I think very well thought out. The reason I don't like many weddings is because they are focused on the wrong thing. They are focused on the couple getting married. Weddings should be focused on the One who brought the two peolpe together and who will make them one - Jesus. For the wedding to lead to a marriage that will last Jesus has to be the foundation of the marriage relationship. I don't mean just going to church I mean living a life as a couple and family that is totally surrendered to Jesus.
Annother reason I find American weddings not what they should be is that too much money is spend on the wedding. I know parents who have gone into debt to finance a wedding. Weddings shouldn't put anyone, parents or the couple themselves into debt. Nor should a wedding cause the kind of stress in people's lives that it does. I have been married for over 38 years and to be honest the wedding itself is just a memory. My everyday relationship with my wife is what is important. My loving her and she respecting me is what keeps our love for each other fresh and real and the fact that Jesus is at the center of our relationship.
The most often used picture of the relationship that God wants us His people is that of a marriage. That why in Malachi 2:16 God says that He hates divorce. Divorce destorts the picture of God's love and desire that He has for His people. It also hurts people and God loves us so much that He doesn't wants to have to experience that kind of pain.
Expensive self focused weddings don't need to happen. They are real joy killers. Weddinngs that are simple and Jesus centered can begin a marriage with a burst of pure God given joy. Let's celebrate marriage Jesus style.
Joe
Annother reason I find American weddings not what they should be is that too much money is spend on the wedding. I know parents who have gone into debt to finance a wedding. Weddings shouldn't put anyone, parents or the couple themselves into debt. Nor should a wedding cause the kind of stress in people's lives that it does. I have been married for over 38 years and to be honest the wedding itself is just a memory. My everyday relationship with my wife is what is important. My loving her and she respecting me is what keeps our love for each other fresh and real and the fact that Jesus is at the center of our relationship.
The most often used picture of the relationship that God wants us His people is that of a marriage. That why in Malachi 2:16 God says that He hates divorce. Divorce destorts the picture of God's love and desire that He has for His people. It also hurts people and God loves us so much that He doesn't wants to have to experience that kind of pain.
Expensive self focused weddings don't need to happen. They are real joy killers. Weddinngs that are simple and Jesus centered can begin a marriage with a burst of pure God given joy. Let's celebrate marriage Jesus style.
Joe
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Risking Wiht God
What God did by becoming human and giving His life on the cross for us is very risky. I have been thinking a lot lately about risk. God loves me enough to risk for me. Do I love God enough to risk for Him?
Several things come to my mind when I thinking about risking for God. One is that I don't really risk for God, I risk with God. God doesn't need me to do for Him or risk for Him. I work with God because it is not me coming up with what I want to do for God. It is me seeking God, seeing where He is working and joining Him in doing it. It is the same thing with taking a risk. I don't come up with what I want to risk for God and then risk it. I seek God, see what he is telling me to do and do it, many times what God is leading me to do will be risky. It's like Elijah when he confronted the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18. Did Elijah wake up one morning and say, "Oh, I think I'll go and challenge 850 false prophets to a contest to detemine whose God is the real God." No, that is not what happen. Whose idea was it that this contest on Mount Carmel come about? It was God's idea. Did Elijah risk something? Oh, yeah! But he did it in resonse to what God told him to do. He didn't risk for God, he risk with God.
Another thing I have learned about risking with God is that it leads to an intimacy with Him. When I trust God I will risk with Him. When I risk with God and He comes through, which He always does. I open myself up more and more to Him and His will. When I really open myself up nd obey the Spirit of God and God comes through it leads me to do it not once but over and over. Obeying God over and over is faithfulness. When I am faithful to God He reveals Himself to me more and more and I experience a closeness, an intiimacy with God.
Finally, I have learned that risking with God is scary, but it is also exciting and fun. I have found great joy in letting God take me out of my comfort zone. The first few steps are hard, but once I take them and see that God is there and He is not going to let me crash and burn, I experience great joy.
God is daily in the process of helping me to risk with Him and by doing that God is more and more each day Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls from my life.
Joe
Several things come to my mind when I thinking about risking for God. One is that I don't really risk for God, I risk with God. God doesn't need me to do for Him or risk for Him. I work with God because it is not me coming up with what I want to do for God. It is me seeking God, seeing where He is working and joining Him in doing it. It is the same thing with taking a risk. I don't come up with what I want to risk for God and then risk it. I seek God, see what he is telling me to do and do it, many times what God is leading me to do will be risky. It's like Elijah when he confronted the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18. Did Elijah wake up one morning and say, "Oh, I think I'll go and challenge 850 false prophets to a contest to detemine whose God is the real God." No, that is not what happen. Whose idea was it that this contest on Mount Carmel come about? It was God's idea. Did Elijah risk something? Oh, yeah! But he did it in resonse to what God told him to do. He didn't risk for God, he risk with God.
Another thing I have learned about risking with God is that it leads to an intimacy with Him. When I trust God I will risk with Him. When I risk with God and He comes through, which He always does. I open myself up more and more to Him and His will. When I really open myself up nd obey the Spirit of God and God comes through it leads me to do it not once but over and over. Obeying God over and over is faithfulness. When I am faithful to God He reveals Himself to me more and more and I experience a closeness, an intiimacy with God.
Finally, I have learned that risking with God is scary, but it is also exciting and fun. I have found great joy in letting God take me out of my comfort zone. The first few steps are hard, but once I take them and see that God is there and He is not going to let me crash and burn, I experience great joy.
God is daily in the process of helping me to risk with Him and by doing that God is more and more each day Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls from my life.
Joe
Sunday, September 11, 2011
9-11
This has been a day of reflection for me. A day to mourn and fast. I believe that September 11 is a day for American Christians to call out to God and seek Him. A day for us to ask our Father to send revival. On this day our cry should be 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people who are called by my name with humble themselves, pray and seek my face. I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land." Just as Israel has a day of atonement in which they fast and pray I believe that 9-11 should be ours. My prayer for us on this day is that we as God's people would humble ourselves before Him and let Him Raise the Roof and Rmove the Walls of our lives and of His church.
I having a growing desire to see God's glory reveled in us as His church, His Body. I see a church that has increasingly focused on our desires, our comforts, and our pleasures. The time is now for us as God people to surrender all ourselves so that God might be exalted above all. God had me studying Psalm 67 this week. That Psalm talks about what will happen when we as God's people seek Him and seek His blessings not for ourselves, but so God can by blessing us use us to bless the world by showing His glory to all the nations. I want to be like Isaiah who when confronted by the awesome presence of God and was asked who would go said, "Here I am send me!" May God use me and you for His glory.
Joe
I having a growing desire to see God's glory reveled in us as His church, His Body. I see a church that has increasingly focused on our desires, our comforts, and our pleasures. The time is now for us as God people to surrender all ourselves so that God might be exalted above all. God had me studying Psalm 67 this week. That Psalm talks about what will happen when we as God's people seek Him and seek His blessings not for ourselves, but so God can by blessing us use us to bless the world by showing His glory to all the nations. I want to be like Isaiah who when confronted by the awesome presence of God and was asked who would go said, "Here I am send me!" May God use me and you for His glory.
Joe
Friday, September 9, 2011
Wealth Creation
I am not an expert on the economy. I can't even balance my check book. I do know what we have been doing is not working. The defination definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It seems to me that is what we are doing. I live in the county with one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Our is somewhere around 20%. In my time with Jesus today I read Deuteronomy chapter 8 and in verse 18 God says, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today."
It is God who gives us the ability to produce wealth. It does not come from the govenment. It doesn't even come from men and women gifted in business. It comes from God when we do things God's way. Our economy will improve when we move from seeing making money as an end in itself to a means to an end - Glorifying God. We have made job creation and starting new businesses the end. Let's instead making honoring Jesus the end and cry out to Him for help and direction and see what happens. I know this makes no sense economically, but remember I am not an economic expert. I do know God and believe His Word and believe that He not us is the Creator of wealth.
Joe
It is God who gives us the ability to produce wealth. It does not come from the govenment. It doesn't even come from men and women gifted in business. It comes from God when we do things God's way. Our economy will improve when we move from seeing making money as an end in itself to a means to an end - Glorifying God. We have made job creation and starting new businesses the end. Let's instead making honoring Jesus the end and cry out to Him for help and direction and see what happens. I know this makes no sense economically, but remember I am not an economic expert. I do know God and believe His Word and believe that He not us is the Creator of wealth.
Joe
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Fear
I hate fear. I hate feeling fearful. And the bad part is that I have felt fearful for a lot of my life. For years I would visualize the deacons coming into my office and firing me. I am in one of those fearful places in my life right now. Many times when I have felt this way I didn't know why. This time I do know why. I am fearful that my church is going to miss God. You see, over that last 6-8 months God has been doing some really cool things within His church here in Deming and God really wants to do even more. He wants to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls. My fear is that we will not let Him. And a greater fear is that it will because I was not obedient to do all that God has told me to do as the pastor of His church. I see every day the enemy, Satan trying to disrupt and getting our focus off of Jesus and on to petty concerns and into conflicts with each other. I also see the enemy messing with the marriages and families in the church.The enmey knows that if he can get us fighting as spouses with each other or children with their parents than he can stop what God wants to do and win the victory. I know I am not alone in feeling fearful. In the the first chapter of the book Joshua God tells Joshua five times to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid. Joshua was about to lead the people of God into a land that God had promised to give them, but they would have to fight to take it. God promises them that He would be with them and give them everything they needed to take the land. They had to trust Him and fight. The reason that God tells Joshua that he can be strong and courageous is because of God not because of Joshua. So as I read that chapter again I was reminded in the midst of my fear not to panic, not to abandon the church, not to run away from God. I am to run to God. I am to trust God and in completely trusting God and not me, I am to fight. I am also to pray that my church will trust God and fight the enemy and allow God to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls.
Joe
Joe
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Need for Forgiveness
I hope to make this blog very honest and so I will share not just my great spiritul moments but also my very bad spiritual moments.
After having been a Christian for over 45 years now that are time when I begin to think man I have this sin thing licked. I doing good and why can't all this other "sinners" get their act together. Then I will have a moment like I had Sunday and open my mouth and the stupidest things come out. It is at those times when God reminds me of three things. One I am a recovery sinner. i don't have sin licked and I can be as unspiritual and unholy as anyone. He reminds me that I still need forgiveness and not just from Him, but many times from the person I have sinned against. He also reminds me that He still loves me. I hate to be humbled, but I love the fact that God loves me enough to humble me. God disciplines those He loves. Sunday and Monday He really loved me.
Joe
After having been a Christian for over 45 years now that are time when I begin to think man I have this sin thing licked. I doing good and why can't all this other "sinners" get their act together. Then I will have a moment like I had Sunday and open my mouth and the stupidest things come out. It is at those times when God reminds me of three things. One I am a recovery sinner. i don't have sin licked and I can be as unspiritual and unholy as anyone. He reminds me that I still need forgiveness and not just from Him, but many times from the person I have sinned against. He also reminds me that He still loves me. I hate to be humbled, but I love the fact that God loves me enough to humble me. God disciplines those He loves. Sunday and Monday He really loved me.
Joe
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Goober
Goober is my 3 year old granddaugther. No, her real name is not Goober, it is Alyssa Marie Byers, just ask her and she will tell you. I love this little girl so much. I don't just love her because she is the most awesome kid in the world, though I think she is. You don't have to think that, in fact if you have little children or grandkids you should think that they are the most awesome kids in the world. I don't even love her because she belongs to Andy and Joni who I also love. No, I love Goober because she is my granddaughter. I realized that the moment I first saw her. She had done thing to cause me to love her at that point, but I did. I love Goober in the same way, not a perfectly, as God loves me. Evey time I am around her and she comes running to me and excitedly says, "Pops" I am overwhelemed with joy. I believe that is how God feels when I call out to Him in love and say, "Abba."
We don't have to do anything for God to loves us. He just does!
I love love Goober even when she misbehaves, I know it hard to believe a Byers' kid misbehaving, but it happens. In the same way God loves me when I disobey. He nevers gives up on me or rejects me, He just loves me and disciplines me (because He loves me).
Also spending time with Goober has help me undestand what Jesus meant when He said that you had to become like a little child to enter His Kingdom. Goober is the most honest person I have ever met. When she is happy you know it, when she is sad you know it and when she is mad you really know it. She is so open and transparent. That is what God wants to do in my life and in the lives of all of His followers, the church. He wants to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls so we can be open and honest with Him and transparent to others showing the world our Awesome Savior.
Joe
We don't have to do anything for God to loves us. He just does!
I love love Goober even when she misbehaves, I know it hard to believe a Byers' kid misbehaving, but it happens. In the same way God loves me when I disobey. He nevers gives up on me or rejects me, He just loves me and disciplines me (because He loves me).
Also spending time with Goober has help me undestand what Jesus meant when He said that you had to become like a little child to enter His Kingdom. Goober is the most honest person I have ever met. When she is happy you know it, when she is sad you know it and when she is mad you really know it. She is so open and transparent. That is what God wants to do in my life and in the lives of all of His followers, the church. He wants to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls so we can be open and honest with Him and transparent to others showing the world our Awesome Savior.
Joe
Saturday, September 3, 2011
God's Car
Today has been an interesting day. Jan and I were on our way to Las Cruces when I noticed the check engine light was on. Well, being the crack car guy I am I decided to go on to Las Cruces. We ate and went to come home and the car won't start. Now, normally I would panic and get mad. Instead, I prayed and ask God to get the car started. He chose not to. I don't full understand why, because I think it would have been a perfect awesome dispaly of His power. God had another plan. We have Onstar and we called them and they got a tow truck out pretty quick and we call some friends who happen to be in Las Cruces. In the porcess of doing this I still didn't get upset or go ballistic because in the middle of this God brought a verse to my spirit, it was Psalm 50:10 which says, "For every aninal of the forrest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills." So God whispered to me the car isn't yours it mine so let me worry about it. I know that God could have kept the car from having problems. He could have gotten the car started. He chose a different plan. I know that He did that to show me that He could take of us and that I need to truely surrender everything even my car to Him. He also taught me when anything is His, He'll take care of it and I don't have to stress about it.
Friday, September 2, 2011
With God Not For God
Growing up in the church I was constantly frustated because I was told I needed to do "for" God. And I didn't know how or what to do for God. Plus I figured if God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and always present why does He need me to do for Him? As I read and study Scripture I have yet to find anywhere it says that I or any other human being is to to do for God. Scripture tells me I am to do with God. I am to join God in what He is already doing. I don't have to come up with the plan or even how to work the plan. God has a purpose and God has a plan to fulfill that purpose. I don't have to come up with anything, I simply have to join with God and obey Him.
I thus don't have to seek God's will for my life, I need to just seek God. I seek God so that I can know Him and have a relationship with Him because if my relationship with God is not right than nothing else will work properly. But if my relationship with God is right then He will show Himself and His will to me. He will also show me where He is at work and how to join Him in that work.
I am to seek not what the culture tells me to seek. I am not to seek even what the church culture sometimes tells me to seek. I am to seek Jesus. And I have the promise of God that if I seek Him with my whole heart I will find Him and I will experience the fullness of His presence and power.
There are days when I feel so overwhelmed with all that is wrong in the world, in my nation, in my community and even in the lives of the people in my church, whom I love and hurt and suffer with as they hurt and suffer. In the midst of all of this my Abba, my Dad comes and reminds me the pressure is not on me to find a solution to problems, to the hurting. God has the solution to all of it and the solution is - Him and my job very simply is - to point people to Him.
I thus don't have to seek God's will for my life, I need to just seek God. I seek God so that I can know Him and have a relationship with Him because if my relationship with God is not right than nothing else will work properly. But if my relationship with God is right then He will show Himself and His will to me. He will also show me where He is at work and how to join Him in that work.
I am to seek not what the culture tells me to seek. I am not to seek even what the church culture sometimes tells me to seek. I am to seek Jesus. And I have the promise of God that if I seek Him with my whole heart I will find Him and I will experience the fullness of His presence and power.
There are days when I feel so overwhelmed with all that is wrong in the world, in my nation, in my community and even in the lives of the people in my church, whom I love and hurt and suffer with as they hurt and suffer. In the midst of all of this my Abba, my Dad comes and reminds me the pressure is not on me to find a solution to problems, to the hurting. God has the solution to all of it and the solution is - Him and my job very simply is - to point people to Him.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Real & Ordinary
There are some gifts that I have always wanted God to give me. I have always wanted to be able to play a musical instrument and sing. God has not seen fit in His will to give me those gifts. In fact over the years as I have looked at my life I am about as average and ordianry as you can get. I have no great abilities. I resented God for years because I saw so many other people with these awesome abilities and I had none. Then just about five or six years ago in the middle of one of my "poor me" parties, God spoke to me and it shocked me what He said. God told me to stop whining. He pointed out to me that He had given me two gifts. One was that I was ordianry. The fact that I was ordinary allowed me to connect with people and for them to identify with me. You see most of us are ordinary or at least that is the way we see ourselves. So when we encounter these people with their extraordinary abilities we are blown away by them and many times put them on a pedestal and not really see ourselves as being able to achieve what they have. Trust me! I am not somebody that anyone would ever put on a pedestal. I don't want to be on one because the only place you can go on a pedestal is down. I have come to enjoy the gift of being ordinary because when God uses me and others see what God has done and tell me that they could never to do what I did, I can honestly tell them that they can because if God can use me, He can use anybody because I am very ordianry.
The second gift God has given me is the ability to be real. In the early years of my ministry I tried being a traditional minister. I even tried to develop the ability to sound like a praecher, to have preacher voice. I couldn't, it sounded stupid and so I gave up. At the same time that God showed me my gift of being ordinary, He also showed me that He had given me the gift of being real.
Being real means you are who you are, you doing things not like others, but like who you are and you don't hid things well. Like you don't hid when you happy or sad or mad or discouraged. Being real sucks sometimes because you would really like to hid stuff and you can't and it gets you into trouble or it ticks people off. But being real is also a very cool gift from God because it allows Him to much more easily Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls of your life. Being real allows God to say things through you that really nice people would never say. Being real has to be tempted with a lot of love. If not, it then just becomes rudeness and that is not of God. So now God is teaching me, at time very painfullessons, on how to be real and ordinary with love.
Joe
The second gift God has given me is the ability to be real. In the early years of my ministry I tried being a traditional minister. I even tried to develop the ability to sound like a praecher, to have preacher voice. I couldn't, it sounded stupid and so I gave up. At the same time that God showed me my gift of being ordinary, He also showed me that He had given me the gift of being real.
Being real means you are who you are, you doing things not like others, but like who you are and you don't hid things well. Like you don't hid when you happy or sad or mad or discouraged. Being real sucks sometimes because you would really like to hid stuff and you can't and it gets you into trouble or it ticks people off. But being real is also a very cool gift from God because it allows Him to much more easily Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls of your life. Being real allows God to say things through you that really nice people would never say. Being real has to be tempted with a lot of love. If not, it then just becomes rudeness and that is not of God. So now God is teaching me, at time very painfullessons, on how to be real and ordinary with love.
Joe
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