being free

morning meditations

2011-07-26T13:41:00.003+02:00

One of the most significant habits I've developed in my life has been morning prayer and scripture reading. To me it has become like food. I don't know how I would survive without it. The habit of prayer and scripture meditation helps me start my day focused on God. It prepares my mind and heart to face the circumstances and challenges of each day. It allows me to put my life in proper perspective, trusting in God.

Over the years I've done a number of different types of prayer and reading. The one I would like to share here I found a few years back called Morning Prayer Affirmations. It has been adapted from a book entitled "Handbook to prayer: Praying scripture back to God". It takes about 20 minutes to pray through this meditation. If you are looking for a way to connect with God each morning, this is a great place to start.

1. SUBMITTING TO GOD

•Because of all You have done for me, I present my body to You as a living sacrifice for this day. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind, affirming that Your will for me is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

2. ADORATION AND THANKSGIVING

•Offer a brief word of praise to God for one or more of His attributes (e.g., love and compassion, grace, mercy, holiness, goodness, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, truthfulness, unchanging character, eternality) and/or works (e.g., creation, care, redemption, loving purposes, second coming).

•Thank Him for the good things in your life.

3. EXAMINATION

•Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness. (Psalm 139:23–24)

4. MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST

•“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

•I have forgiveness from the penalty of sin because Christ died for me. (Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3)

•I have freedom from the power of sin because I died with Christ. (Colossians 2:11; 1 Peter 2:24)

•I have fulfillment for this day because Christ lives in me. (Philippians 1:20–21)

•By faith, I will allow Christ to manifest His life through me. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

5. FILLING OF THE SPIRIT

•Ask the Spirit to control and fill you for this day.

•I want to be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) When I walk by the Spirit, I will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) If I live by the Spirit, I will also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)

6. FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

•Pray on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23)

•“Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

7. PURPOSE OF MY LIFE

•I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and I want to love my neighbor as myself. (Matthew 22:37, 39) My purpose is to love God completely, love self correctly, and love others compassionately.

•I will seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. (Matthew 6:33)

•I have been called to follow Christ and to be a fisher of men. (Matthew 4:19)

•I will be a witness to those who do not know Him and participate in the Great Commission to go and make disciples. (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 1:8)

•I want to glorify the Father by bearing much fruit, and so prove to be Christ’s disciple. (John 15:8)

8. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DAY

•I will trust in the Lord with all my heart, and not lean on my own understanding. In all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will make my paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

•“God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28; also see 8:29) I acknowledge that You are in control of all things in my life, and that You have my best interests at heart. Because of this I will trust and obey You today.

•Review and commit the events of this day into the hands of God.

9. PEOPLE IN NEED

• Pray for people you know who are in need. (1 Thess. 5:25)

• Ask God to show you those who don't know his love and salvation. Pray that they may hear the good news of Christ and have responsive hearts. (Colossians 4:2-4)

• I am an ambassador for Christ, given the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-21) Ask God for guidance, wisdom and love in representing Christ to those around you.

10. PROTECTION IN THE WARFARE

Against the World: Renew

•I will set my mind on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)

•Since I have been raised up with Christ, I will keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. I will set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1–2; also see 3:3–4 and Hebrews 12:1–2)

•I will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving I will let my requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, I will let my mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:6–8; also see 4:9)

Against the Flesh: Reckon

•I know that my old self was crucified with Christ, so that I am no longer a slave to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin. I will reckon myself as dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. I will not present the members of my body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but I will present myself to God as one alive from the dead, and my members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:6–7, 11, 13)

Against the Devil: Resist

•As I submit myself to God and resist the devil, he will flee from me. (James 4:7)

•I will be of sober spirit and on the alert. My adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But I will resist him, firm in my faith. (1 Peter 5:8–9)

•I will take up the full armor of God, that I may be able to resist and stand firm. I put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness; I put on my feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; and I take up the shield of faith with which I will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. I take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition I will pray at all times in the Spirit and be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13–18)

11. THE COMING OF CHRIST AND MY FUTURE WITH HIM

•Your kingdom come, Your will be done. (Matthew 6:10)

•You have said, “I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

•I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to me. (Romans 8:18)

•I will not lose heart, but though my outer man is decaying, yet my inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for me an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while I look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18)

•My citizenship is in heaven, from which also I eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20)

lessons from the garden - part iii

2011-04-13T03:27:00.009+02:00

After you’ve amended your soil and planned your garden, you’re ready to plant. Planting can be done a couple different ways. You can direct seed (sow directly into the ground) or you can transplant (sow into flats then once established transplant into the garden). Some plants do better when directly seeded, like carrots, beets, corn, peas, beans, and spinach. Others do better as transplants, like tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, and cabbage. It is important to remember that if you are transplanting greenhouse grown seedlings you need to “harden off” your plants. Seedlings grown in a greenhouse are not as rugged as plants sown in the garden. Greenhouse grown plants do not have the same resistance to wind, rain, and strong sun.

You can begin hardening off a week before planting by placing them outside during the day while putting them inside during the night. You may also want to put them in a shady place the first couple days. It will take a few days for the plants to bear up under the harsh outdoor conditions. If you plant seedlings directly into the ground without first hardening them off the stress of the transplant and the harsh elements may take your seedlings out! It is better to take it slow. Lastly, when seeding and planting you will want to take note of the recommended spacing. Spacing plants to closely can limit growth and spacing them too far apart is an inefficient use of space.

So what’s the principle here? Well, I’d say it’s that artificial environments do not produce real world results. Artificial environments have their place, but one needs to take into consideration “real world” variables which may shock, weaken, or possible destroy a product.

Have you ever heard of the merry go round water pump? It was a test tube idea. The idea was to create merry go round water pumps for rural third world populations. The pump drew water as children played on the merry go round. Sounds like a good idea. In reality it was a complete failure. I mean, think about it, how many times can a kid go around a merry go round before he/she throws up? A merry go round is a temporary play devise. It is not something kids play on all the time. In the end, kids were either forced to pump the water or women from the village walked in circles like livestock to draw water. This was an idea that wasn’t “hardened off”. It was not tested against real world variables. In the end, it failed.

Maybe you are an “idea” person. If so, test them out first before you jump in head over heels. Put your idea up against the harsh reality of our world. Does it stand up under pressure? Is it real world hardy? Give it a try and see what happens. As the scripture 19:2 says “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.”

lessons from the garden - part ii

2011-03-10T18:37:00.005+01:00

Now that you've got the foundation strengthened your ready for the next step. Some may say it's planting, but I say it's planning. Planning is actually the very first step in gardening. Testing and amending the soil should be the first action step in your plan. But now that we are onto planting, we definitely need a plan. The plan helps you answer questions like: What are you going to plant? Where are you going to plant it? And when do you need to plant it?

Answering the what are you going to plant question helps you determine your crops. You've got to know what your going to plant before you plant it. Not all plants will grow in all climates. Different breeds grow better in the North than they do in the South. You will also want to determine what kinds of seeds to plant, will they be organic, conventional, hybrid or heirloom?

Next you have to determine where your going to plant. You want to avoid planting the same crop in the same location year after year. Instead you want to rotate your crops. Crop rotation is important for disease resistance as well as nutrient availability. There are a variety of opinions on how one should rotate crops. The one I've found to be simple and easy to remember is rooting, fruiting, vegging, and resting. You have one plot for rooting vegetables, one for fruiting, one for vegetative (leafy greens), and one for resting (nothings grown but a cover crop, which I will talk about another time). Every year you rotate these four plots.

After you determine the what and where you need to know when. Different crops grow better at different times of the season. Peas, onions, carrots, and spinach can be planted early, while tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers need to be planted later. To maximize your growing season you'll want to get the "when" question right.

One last thing to note, in the planning stage it's important to do your homework. Study, read, and inquire about what to plant, where to plant it, and when. The more research you do the more likely your are to succeed. As Proverb 15:22 says "Plans fail for lack of council, but with many advisers they succeed."

Now for the principle, if you haven't guessed it already: don't proceed before you've planned. If I could add to that I'd say, don't proceed before you have a well informed plan. That's the principle. One that I've missed a time or two....

Take for example starting a church. There is a lot that goes into starting a church. You need to do a lot of research. You need to have a plan for whose it going to be done with, what it's going to look like, where your going to do it, when it's going to take place, and how it's going to be done. Who, what, where, when, and how are the foundational questions for any planning endeavor.

So, what are you trying to accomplish? Maybe you want to start a business, get married, go to school, or start a garden. Do you have a well informed plan? A well informed plan is a key to success.

lessons from the garden - part i

2011-03-09T22:07:00.004+01:00

Over the course of the past couple years I've done some contemplating on the parallels between gardening and life. There is a lot one can learn from the garden. Lessons from the garden can apply to relationships, work, family, and spirituality.

Every step in gardening is a lesson and every lesson can be applied to much of life. I am reminded how Jesus used a variety of farming illustrations to teach spiritual principles. Over the next few posts I am going to attempt to do the same. I will share a step of gardening, a principle and an application. There may be many applications to the principle, but due to time, I am going to stick with one. My first lesson is from the dirt.

To grow healthy plants you need to start with healthy soil. Many people over look this crucial step. If you don't have the right soil, then you will never get good fruit, which of course is what all vegetable growers desire. We want yummy, abundant, disease free fruit. To get this, you have to start with the soil. You could put it this way, healthy soil is the foundation for healthy growth.

First the soil needs to be tested. In testing the soil you can determine its strengths and weaknesses. From there you can determine how to amend the soil. Maybe the soil lacks potassium or maybe it has to much clay and not enough organic material or maybe the ph is to low. Whatever the case, your soil test helps you determine how to improve the soil and thus improve your growing potential. Not only will you get more fruit from healthy soil, you will also get stronger plants, meaning they will be more disease resistant. Bugs have a knack for attacking weak plants, if your plants are strong they will both deter and resist attacks.

Now here's the principle: a good foundation is essential for a successful ________________. You fill in the blank. It could be marriage, business, relationship, church, or career. It all starts with a good foundation.

I recall Jesus talking about building your house on a good foundation - the rock. The rock being his Word. Building your life based on the truths and principles of God's Word will give a person a solid foundation, one that will last through the storms.

So how's your foundation? Have you tested it? Do you know where it needs to be strengthened or amended? Do you need some organic matter or possibly some nitrogen? Maybe you need some integrity or faithfulness or maybe it's honesty or humility you need.

We all need to amend our soil, whatever it may be. Starting with a good foundation or strengthening your existing foundation means bearing healthy and abundant fruit. And who doesn't want that!

reflections

2010-12-27T16:55:00.005+01:00

Have you ever had a conversation that resulted in personal reflection and introspection? Well, I had one of those on Christmas night. Over a nice fondue dinner (thank you Lindy) with our neighbor's, conversation turned towards how I got into ministry, which lead me to explain how I became a Christian. You see, I didn't grow up a Christian or in per say a Christian home. I didn't believe in Jesus or even know much about him. It wasn't until later in life that I learned about God's salvation in Jesus and as a result decided to place my faith in him. Telling my story on Christmas night got me thinking about how much my life has changed because of Jesus. I started thinking about where life would have taken me without the knowledge of his salvation.

The day after Christmas I was reading Psalm 40 and came across verse 5, "Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." This verse pertains to Israel, but in a very real way it pertains to my life as well. "Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done." God has done many wonders in my life, too many to declare, but here are a few:

Before learning of the gospel (the message of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection) I lacked meaning, purpose, and direction. In the gospel I discovered a God who loved me and created me with a purpose. I discovered I was created to live in a relationship with Him and to glorify him by reflecting his likeness on earth.

Before the gospel I struggled with negative self image, negative thinking patterns, and low self esteem. In the gospel I found a God who loved me, accepted me, and forgave me. I discovered that God wanted me, that in Christ he purchased me, and in doing so he adopted me into his family. I was given a new identity. I was now a child of God, he had become my Father, and I his son.

Before the gospel I lacked peace. I was confused, insecure, and discontent. In the gospel I found peace. The God of the universe, who is Peace, now dwelt in my heart. I didn't have to search for peace, it was now in me. Not only did I have peace in me, I discoverd the God of the Bible is good. I could trust in him. I could rest in his love and nothing could shake that.

Before the gospel I lacked joy and happiness. Because of my confusion, fear, and lack of meaning I didn't have inner joy. Sure I sought happiness in "things" whether it was experiences, drugs, or people. What I didn't have was a deep and abiding joy. In the gospel I found the joy I lacked. Because of God's forgiveness I not only had His peace in me, I also had His joy in me. I began to experience true happiness. I started waking up with songs of praise in my heart. It bubbled up from within me. Something I had never experienced before.

Before the gospel I had an impatient and judgmental attitude towards people. In the gospel I discovered that God loved all people. I discovered that I was just as sinful as the next guy and because I needed forgiveness I should extend forgiveness. I started to see people through eyes of compassion rather than eyes of judgment. I began to care for them because God cared for them. I began to desire helping them know the love God had for them.

Lastly, before the gospel I lacked hope. Life was meaningless. It was an accident, an evolutionary fluke. Not only that but it was a selfish world. Humans were destroying the earth, people were suffering from loneliness and injustice. The strong survived the weak died. And for what point? Why would I ever want to bring children into such a world? That was my thinking. In the gospel however I found something different. I discovered a God who cared. Life wasn't meaningless. Our Creator reached out to us. In Christ he showed us a different way to live and through His Spirit empowers us to live differently. In Christ I learned that God took the nature of a servant. He is our model. If we serve and love one another and the creation as he did there is hope for the world. Additionally there was also hope that Jesus would return. He would one day come to right all wrongs. He would restore all things to their intended purpose.

All these things and many more have shaped the course of my life. They have given me a purpose to live for. They have led me to mental health and wholeness. They have guided me into a career of serving others. They have led me to committing my life to a woman in marriage. They have helped me keep the marriage strong. They have given me confidence in raising children, knowing that there is both meaning and hope for them. This list could go on and on. The miracles and transformations that have occurred in me are too numerous to list.

I am forever grateful for what God had done in my life. I dread to think what my life would be without him. Glory be to God.

in the name of

2010-11-30T19:07:00.002+01:00

Recently our home church has been reading and discussing the Book of John. Two weeks ago we were reading John 16 and a good question came up about what it means to "pray in Jesus name". This is a topic I too, even after being a Christian now for sixteen years (I can't believe it has been that long!), was still unclear about. So I decided to do a study about it. Here are my gleanings.

Jesus came in the Father’s name

John 5:43 “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.”

John 10:25 “Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.

John 17:11 “And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.”

John 14:9-11 “Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”

Jesus came with the Father’s authority and power

John 8:28 “So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak just as the Father taught me.”

John 10:17-18 “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

John 17:1-2 “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

Luke 4:31-36 “And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority. And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are— the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"

Luke 5:23-25 “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he said to the man who was paralyzed – “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And immediately he rose up before them.”

Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Because Jesus is an authoritative power, there is authority and power in his name

Matthew 18:20 “For when two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Luke 10:17 “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 24:46-47 “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

John 1:12 “But to all who receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

John 20:31 “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Acts 2:21 “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Acts 2:38 “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized everyone one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 3:6, 16 “Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong…. And his name – by faith in his name (Jesus) – has made this man strong whom you see and know and the faith that is through Jesus have given the man his perfect health in the presence of you all.”

Acts 4:7-10 “And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…. Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead – by him this man is standing before you well.”

Acts 4:17-18 “But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. “ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.”

Acts 10:43 “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Acts 16:18 “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it (the spirit) came out that very hour.

Acts 22:16 “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

1 Corinthians 1:2 “We are writing to the church of God in Corinth, you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did all Christians everywhere--whoever calls upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and theirs”

1 Corinthians 6:11 “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Philippians 2:9 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Hebrews 1:3-4 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you?”

James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

The authority and power of Jesus has been extended to us, if that is we are in accordance with his will/word

John 18:18-20 “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For when two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

John 14:12-14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

John 15:7; 16 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples… You did not choose me, but I choose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 16:23-24 “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

1 John 3:21-23 “Beloved, if your heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”

1 John 5:14 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Concluding Thoughts

To bear the name of Jesus as a Christian means to be his representative, as he was the representative of the Father. Jesus did the Fathers work in the Father's name. We are to do Jesus' work in Jesus' name. Jesus has extended his authority, power, and work to us, that is, if we are in alignment with his will and word. He has given us the ability to intercede directly to the Father and ask for anything that would be in accordance with his name. Praying in the name of Jesus is not a magic formula, no, it is a gift that includes us in the work of Jesus here on earth. May we bear this great privilege with wisdom and humility.

Further Study

What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name?
Praying in the Name of Jesus

new blog

2010-11-04T01:22:00.002+01:00

Hello blog followers and facebook friends...

Lindy and I are starting a new blog. It is called This Old Farmhouse. The blog will be based on our life in an old farmhouse. Lindy and I will be co-authoring the blog and are planning on updating it a couple times a week, so please check it out, put it on your RSS feed, and enjoy the journey with us.

I am going focus my being free blog more on my spiritual reflections. It has already been a lot of that, but this is going to become my main focus with it.

Thanks for following along with us, our journeys and our thoughts!

house church

2010-11-02T18:28:00.003+01:00

Here's an interesting news report on house churches from NBC:

Part 1

Part 2

good news

2010-09-19T14:11:00.004+02:00

Society of St. Andrews (Gleaning America's Fields - Feeding America's Hungry) is a great organization we recently found out about.

The Society of St. Andrews bases their work on Deuteronomy 24:19
"When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings."

Did you know the USDA estimates 20% of all food grown in this country is wasted - either because it’s not commercially marketable or it is missed during mechanical harvesting.

The Society of St. Andrews address the problems of hunger and waste through the Biblical practice of gleaning...the gathering of crops left in fields after harvest. This food is then distributed to the hungry through shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, and other hunger relief agencies.

We are glad to have recently found out about St. Andrews. We were actually able to donate 336 pounds of unused apples! What is even better is that they were distributed locally to such organizations as the ABCCM Women's Shelter, the Welcome Table in Swannanoa, the Welcome Table in Black Mountain, and the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry.

I wish the media would highlight such organizations as the Society of St. Andrews. There are so many wonderful organizations out there doing good work. It would be uplifting to hear the positive news rather than the negative. So take heart, there is still much good going on in our world!

amos

2010-08-31T20:42:00.003+02:00

I've been reading Amos. Quite a book.

The book of Amos shows me what God cares about (what pleases him) and what He finds offensive (what angers him). My findings may be different than you might first think. Check em out:

What Angers God:
Injustice - v. 5:7, 12
Exploitation/oppression of the poor - v. 1:9; 2:6-7; 4:1; 5:11-12; 8:4
Violence - v. 1:3, 13; 2:1
Rejection of his law - v. 2:4
Religious hypocrisy/show - v. 3:14; 4:4-5; 5:21-23
Material indulgence - v. 2:8; 3:15; 6:3-6

What Pleases God:
Justice and righteousness for all people- v. 5:15, 24
Seeking good not evil - v. 5:14, 15
Seeking of God not religious ritual or hypocritical worship - v. 5:4-6

So, what does this mean for me?
It teaches me that following the way of God is not about religious ceremony, but about loving people and seeking justice for the oppressed. It reminds me to be mindful of what I purchase and who I purchase it from. It shows me that I should support companies and institutions that promote just, ethical and socially responsible practices. It motivates me to oppose oppressive marketing practices, corporate exploitation of the poor, child abuse, and unjust governmental law.

Amos teaches me that God is concerned with the oppressed and so should we, as Martin Luther King Jr. once so famously quoted: "But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream" Amos 5:24

gotcha

2010-08-24T04:01:00.007+02:00

"YES! HA HA HA HA HA! WE CAUGHT THE GROUNDHOG!"

That is what I declared to my kids Friday night when to my delight we caught the groundhog. I can't tell you how happy I was. I have been trying to catch that bugger for the past month (I've been like Bill Murry in Caddyshack). He was an illusive, sneaky and fat rodent. When I would spie him in the garden nibbling on veggies he would stealthy slip into the bushes or hide under the shed. I finally found one of his hiding spots and placed the trap (full of carrots) right in front of his entrance. Two days went by and nothing. Then on the evening of the third day, walla, he took the bate. My garden gopher is finally gone!

"YES! HA HA HA HA HA! WE CAUGHT THE GROUNDHOG!"

garden church

2010-08-03T20:59:00.003+02:00

"The church should be more like a community garden and less like a supermarket." Arthur Sido

I like this statement. It puts two of my worlds together - gardening and church. These worlds have more in common than we may think. Wasn't it Jesus that talked about his kingdom being like a mustard seed and about him being the vine and us the branches? Jesus often used organic illustrations when describing God's purposes. God's kingdom is organic in nature; spiritual seeds are sown, new life grows, bears fruit and multiplies. The same principles in a physical gardening are at work in the "spiritual garden". Just like there are pest in the physical garden there are pest in the spiritual. Just like there are seasons to the physical there are seasons to the spiritual. We can learn a lot from gardening. Heck, wasn't it a garden we were placed in in the beginning?

If you want to read more of where the quote came from check out the blog entry Gospel Grocery Stores.

settling

2010-07-13T19:40:00.005+02:00

We are slowly getting settled into our new home. It has been a lot of work but we are in the home stretch. The kitchen is being put in today. Once the kitchen is in we are hoping to regain our sanity. It's like we are on one big camp out. We cook our food on a grill. We wash our dishes in the bathroom sink. And we have greasy hair from infrequent showering. We even gave our kids a bath in a kiddy pool. :)

We are also getting to know our neighbors. We have some good neighbors and some not so good neighbors. The good ones are the black snakes (we saw a five footer a couple days ago, they eat rats and mice, we're glad to have them around), the skinks (a type of lizard, they eat bugs), the bats, birds, turtles, and frogs. Oh and our human neighbors have been good too. The not so good ones are the groundhogs (they are eating our cabbage! Gabe and I are gonna try trapping them so to relocate em), the wasps, the ants (they found a loaf of zucchini bread in our dinning room, gurrr... I also had an ant bite my tongue, but that's another story), black bears (they don't seem to cause a problem, still they are a little scary!), rabbits (been eating our beans), poison ivy (which I got all over my arms), and Chimney Swifts (they are in our chimney and we are not aloud to remove them because they are protected under a migratory bird law).

So that's life on the homestead. It is a beautiful place and we hope many can visit and fellowship here once it is a bit more livable.

More to come later...

house

2010-07-06T18:24:00.002+02:00

Moved in on Saturday.... still remodeling.... it's getting there....

blog lag

2010-06-08T18:22:00.002+02:00

Ok, so I have been slacking on my blog.... The reason is that all my "free time" has been spent at a new house Lindy and I just bought. Yep, we bought a house. After being in America for a year we are finally settling into a home.

The home we bought is an interesting one. It was first built in 1875 and I think it still has some cobwebs dating to that time period. Seriously though, it is a big project for us. We are currently tearing out the kitchen, the wallpaper (reminds me of Amsterdam), and part of the ceiling. It is a lot of work, but I think it will pay off in the end.

The house sits on a really neat acer of land. It has seven apple trees, six peach trees, two cherry trees, three rows of raspberries, three rows of grapes, one row of blackberries, and the oldest holly tree in the county. We have two large areas for vegetable gardening, a wood shed, a workshop, and a spring feed creek. The land is frequented by turkeys, foxes, turtles, snakes, lizards, and bears. Yes even bears! It is quite a place. There is a lot of potential for this home, not only with raising children, but also for homesteading and ministry. We are looking forward to the days ahead. But for now, it is doing the hard work to get it livable. Hopefully once things settle down I'll be able to get back to blogging!

mobbing

2010-05-17T02:56:00.004+02:00

I went to my first Crop Mob today!

What's a Crop Mob you ask? Here it is from the horses mouth...

"Crop mob is primarily a group of young, landless, and wannabe farmers who come together to build and empower communities by working side by side. Crop mob is also a group of experienced farmers and gardeners willing to share their knowledge with their peers and the next generation of agrarians. The membership is dynamic, changing and growing with each new mob event...

...Any crop mobber can call a crop mob to do the kind of work it takes a community to do. We work together, share a meal, play, talk, and make music. No money is exchanged. This is the stuff that communities are made of." Read more here

Today the Crop Mob was at Asheville's Green Hill Urban Farm. There were around 20 people who showed up for the event. Some were farmers, some were wannabe farmers (like myself), and others were there just to give a helping hand. We accomplished a lot and in the end were served a killer meal. I am glad I was able to take part in it.

To find out more Crop Mobbing check out the Crop Mob site.
You can also read this article in The New York Times... and this article in the Mountain Xpress - The Dirt: A Shared Harvest

in the garden

2010-05-09T04:29:00.005+02:00

We had a good time today at the "in the garden" work day. We weeded, watered, tilled and planted (beans, summer squash, and okra!).

I've been given a unique opportunity to be a community garden manager and volunteer coordinator (with Hands On Asheville) for the Emma Community Garden. The Emma Garden provides food for a lower income families as well as gardening education for school kids. It is a great project to be involved with! On Friday we were even visited by Mayor Terry Bellamy.

reading luke

2010-04-27T14:27:00.003+02:00

I have recently been reading the gospel of Luke for my morning meditation. While reading, I was struck by the power and authority of Jesus’ words. This realization caused me to see Jesus, his words, and the gospel of Luke with different eyes. It seems to me that the central theme of the gospel of Luke is the authority of Jesus’ word and teaching. His word has power and obedience to his word brings blessing. Here are the verses highlighting what I have been discovering:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering sight to the blind, to set liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

“And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching for his word possessed authority.” Luke 4:31-32

“And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” Luke 4:36

“he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:43

“One one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God… And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.” Luke 5:1-6

“And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.” Luke 5:12-13

“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home. And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.” Luke 5:24-25

“After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.” Luke 5:27-28

“And looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so and his hand was restored.” Luke 6:10-11

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49

“Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” Luke 7:14-15

“And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Luke 7:48

“Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.” Luke 8:1

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believed for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” Luke 8:11-15

“Take care then how you hear….” Luke 8:18

“But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Luke 8:21

“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who is this that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Luke 8:24-25

“For he commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man… Then the demons came out of the man…” Luke 8:29-33

“But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.” Luke 8:54

“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:36

“And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” Luke 9:35

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” Luke 9:44

“As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:27-28

From chapter 11 until chapter 22 Luke shifts from the miraculous power of Jesus word, to his instruction and teaching. In the first section Luke sets up the power and authority of Jesus’ word. The middle section presents his teaching, in light of his authority. If we obey his word/teaching will be blessed. The last section, chapter 22-24, Luke transitions to the betrayal, crucifixion and resurrection.

“Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Luke 21:32

“Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:44-49

what is the gospel?

2010-04-24T21:34:00.003+02:00

So, what is the gospel anyways? Is it about being better person? Is it about going to heaven? Is it about singing groovy songs? Here are some explanations of what the gospel really is.

From the Gospel Coalition

Here is more about the gospel from Keller The Gospel in All its Forms

making me think

2010-04-18T16:08:00.004+02:00

Alan Knox has a great blog series called "Scripture...As We Live It". Alan quotes well known Bible verses as we live them, rather than by what is actually said! His scripture re-mixes will get you thinking. I particularly like the most recent one, #102. Check all of them out here.

practicing the presence part iii

2010-04-13T22:53:00.003+02:00

I am coming to find that to practice the Presence of God one must develop a moment by moment habit of interacting with God. This habit is established by a series of definite acts of the will, and of practical choices to acknowledge Christ. It does not come as a spontaneous and irresistible impulse, you have to begin by an act of faith, and you must repeat it until it becomes a habit. Over time it becomes more and more natural, quite possibly as natural as breathing.

What then are those definite acts of the will to cultivate a continual awareness of God? These acts are what I believe Paul talked about in Galatians 6:8-9 when he described the importance of sowing to the Spirit. The more we willfully sow to the Spirit, the more we will reap the benefits of such actions. It is not easy work. Sowing is hard, yet it is rewarded with a harvest of joy in God.

Here are some practical ways to actively sow to the Spirit:

Start the day with God. Start every morning by acknowledging God’s love and salvation in Christ. Spend time reading the Scriptures to renew your mind in the truth of who God is and who you are in Christ. (Mark 1:35; Romans 12:1-2)

Recognize God as near. Regularly take moments throughout your day to recognize God’s nearness. This can be a simple glance in his direction. You could think about setting your phone alarm to go off every hour to help remind you to turn your gaze towards God. You could also have your screen saver say something that directs your attention towards God. (Philippians 4:4-5)

Be watchful of the senses. Watch your attitude, your level of frustration, your lustfulness, and your discouragement level. If your attitude is bad or your heart in the wrong place bring it to the Lord. Confess it, recognize his forgiveness, ask him to fill you with his Spirit and truth, and start afresh. (Colossians 4:2; Hebrews 12:14; 1 John 1:8-10)

Pray internally. Before you take up any task, pray in your heart to God, even if it is only for a moment. You could give thanks, ask for strength, or commit what you are doing to God and his glory. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Do little things for the love of God. This is about bringing God into everyday occurrences. Brother Lawrence says “We can do little things for God. I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for the love of Him… It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God.” Whatever you do, whether it is washing dishes, writing a letter, or doing school work, do it all for the love of God. (Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Listen and respond. If you sense God directing you to do something or sense a prompting from his Spirit, act on it. John 15 equates abiding in Christ with obedience. (John 15:9-17; Hebrews 3:7-4:13)

Serve others in love. Look for opportunities to love people by serving them. John 15’s equation of abiding in Christ through obedience is directed towards our love for others. If we remain in love we remain in God. (John 13:1-17; John 15:9-17; 1 John 5:12, 16)

Give thanks. Take moments to thank God! Acknowledge the goodness of his provisions, creation, salvation, and Presence. You can do this before you eat, while driving in the car, while going for a walk, or sitting on the couch with your kids. It can be done anywhere, anytime, and with anyone. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Close the day with God. Close each day with reflection, thanksgiving and recognition of God’s Presence. Reflect on the times throughout the day when you were aware of God’s presence and the times you were not. Reflect on the attitude of your heart during the day. Realign your heart with God as needed. Seek him for grace to remain conscious of his Presence each and every day. (Psalm 63:6)

Don’t give up! Developing the habit of being aware of God’s Presence and abiding in his love is not easy. It takes work. The fruit of the labor however, is well worth the effort. The fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is worth it! (Galatians 5:22; 6:9)

Many of the habit forming actions I described are practices I am learning. Some of them are from the teachings of Brother Lawrence, others are from the teachings A. B. Simpson, and still others are ideas I have picked up along the way. I have experienced good fruit from sowing these actions. Still, I have a long way to go in remaining conscious of God’s Presence and of doing all for the love of Him. I am convinced however, that the acts/practices I have described are essential for practicing the Presence of God.

practicing the presence part ii

2010-04-05T20:33:00.003+02:00

One reason the practice of the Presence of God is so important to the Christian life is that it enables the believer to grow in whole life worship. Scripture directs us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 talks about the LORD our God being one. God is not a divided God, he is the one Lord over all creation, and therefore we are to love, honor, and worship him in all of life. The Deuteronomy 6 passage goes on to talk about the importance of God’s word being on our heart continuously; when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down and get up. Here we are given a command to be continuously mindful and loving of God.

The practice of the Presence of God helps us acknowledge God’s Lordship and Presence in all of life. It could be rightly called “everyday spirituality”. Brother Lawrence said it like this:

“For me the time of action does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are together calling for as many different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as when upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.” (Practice of the Presence of God, p. 16)

Here we see a spirituality that is grounded in the everyday. God’s presence is manifest as powerfully in the daily grid of life as it is in the set apart times. In this form of spirituality there is no distinction between the sacred and the secular. All is sacred. It is this form of spiritually that realizes the tension Joan Chittister describes:

“Spirituality, we have all learned somehow, is something I have to leave where I am in order to find it. I get it in small doses, in special places and under rarefied conditions. I hope I get enough at one time in life to carry me through all the other times. The idea that sanctity is as much a part of the married life or the single life as it is of the religious life or the clerical life is an idea dearly loved but seldom deeply believed." (Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, p.2)

The practice of the Presence of God helps us find deep meaning in whatever we do, whether it is in our work, marriages, families, neighborhoods or faith communities. God can be honored and encountered in all these aspects of life. Scriptures says it like this:

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

William Tyndale once said “There is no work better than another to please God; to pour water, to wash dishes, to be a cobbler, or an apostle, all is one; to wash dishes and to preach is all one to please God.” As we learn to acknowledge and recognize the Presence of God in all we do, all of life is transformed into an act of worship. Brother Lawrence was acknowledged for this, it was said of him:

“Brother Lawrence’s one method of going to God and abiding in His Presence was to do all for the love of Him. It was a matter of no consequence to him, whether he was employed on one thing or the other, provided that therein he sought God’s glory. It was to Him he looked, and not to the work in hand.” (Practice of the Presence of God p. 23)

... more coming....

practicing the presence part i

2010-03-22T03:14:00.006+01:00

I recently finished a class on Spiritual Practices/Disciplines. The primary emphasis of the class was on developing spiritual practices in order to make space for encountering God. Some of the practices were prayer (praying the Psalms, praying the prayers of others, contemplative prayer, centering prayer, examination prayers and prayer journeying), meditative reading of Scripture (Lectio Divina), silent retreats, and practicing the Presence of God. For my final paper I had to write on one particular spiritual practice. I choose the practice of the Presence of God.

The practice of the Presence of God is an ancient discipline that guides an individual into a continual awareness and communion with God. The practice has been recognized by many spiritual traditions and described many different ways. Biblically it has been described as to “pray without ceasing” and to “live and walk by the Spirit” Brother Lawrence described it as “the Practice of the Presence of God.” Luther described it as “living before the face of God.” A.W. Tozer described it as “the manifest presence of God.” Though the discipline has been described in many ways, it all comes down to the same thing, remaining in a conscious awareness of God’s Presence.

I choose the discipline of practicing the Presence of God for four of reasons. First, I personally want to grow in this discipline. I recognize my need to keep an active awareness of God throughout my daily activities. I have also resonated with the Celtic view that all of life is spiritual. According to their view and according to Scriptures, there is no divide between the secular and the sacred. All of life is sacred. I believe learning to practice the Presence of God is an important part of living a holistic life of worship.

Second, I believe the observance of this discipline is a key to a centered and fruitful Christian life. As Brother Lawrence once said, “The practice that is the most holy, the most general, and the most needful in the spiritual life is the practice of the presence of God.”

Third, I believe the practice of the Presence of God is a greatly needed disciple for the church today. Many people today are searching for spirituality, yet they are not finding it in churches. People are longing for a real life encounter with God. They are not interested in religion, but they are interested in Spirit. I believe a renewed teaching and experience of the practice of the Presence of God is what the world is longing for. Christians have a powerfully spiritual message. We need to regain it.

Lastly, I believe modern Christianity is in need of an everyday form of spirituality. We are in need of spirituality for the here and now. Many of us live hectic lives. We need to know how God can and wants to meet us in our busy lives. We also need a spirituality that connects with our day to day lives, not just the afterlife. We need a spirituality that is grounded in the sacredness of creation. I believe practicing the Presence of God is that spirituality. As Joan Chittister once said:

“…most of us cannot rush to the sea for distance or fly away to other places for escape. Most of us must simply live where we are, in the midst of the crowds and the complex questions. Most of us have no other access to God and the good life except now, except here. The problem becomes discovering how to make here and now, right and holy for us. The here and now is all we have, any of us, out of which to make life worthwhile and God present and holiness a normal, rather than an unnatural, way of life.”

... more to come on the next post....

quote of the day

2010-03-17T04:23:00.003+01:00

Abba Isaac whose teachings come to us from John Cassian:

“And this will come to pass when God shall be all our love, and every desire and wish and effort, every thought of ours, and all our life and words and breath, and that unity which already exists between the Father and the Son, and the Son and the Father, has been shed abroad in our hearts and minds, so that as He loves us with a pure and unfeigned and indissoluble love, so we also may be joined to Him by a lasting and inseparable affection.”

quote of the day

2010-03-09T13:31:00.001+01:00

“Earth’s crammed with heaven
and every common bush afire with God;
but only he who sees, takes off his shoes –
the rest sit round it… unaware."

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

the coming...

2010-02-27T03:15:00.003+01:00

…of the great reversal.

“But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” Matthew 19:30

Do you feel it? There is a coming, a coming of a great reversal. At this coming the least will be the greatest and the greatest the least. At this coming the meek will inherit the earth and the proud the grave. At this coming the downtrodden will be exalted and the arrogant humbled.

There is a great reversal coming. The earth is moaning. Injustice is mounting. Power is consolidating. Deception is proliferating.

There is a great reversal coming. Empire is rising. Powers are oppressing. War is unceasing.

There is a great reversal coming. Kingdoms falling. Righteousness ruling. Peace prospering. The King returning.

For now we wait. We patiently endure. We let not the evil of our day discourage us. We continue to love. We continue to serve. We continue to bless. We continue to hope.

Our King will come. And when he does all things will be made right. Order will reside. Truth will return. Justice restored. Judgment realized.

And with it… shalom… peace… prosperity… harmony… and unity…. Forever.

Are you ready? Are you prepared for the coming?

mind mapping

2010-02-23T03:20:00.002+01:00

This is a really cool program for brainstorming - Mindmeister - super useful!

retreat

2010-02-19T05:33:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I spent the day and night on a personal silent retreat in the cold and snowy North Carolina Mountains. It was a great experience. I had some solid time to sit and meditate on the amazing hope and promises that we have in Christ. Honestly, I was blown away by the reality of what God has given us in and through Jesus. For a good couple hours I sat in awe over what God has given us. Below are some of the passages I was mediating on. Think about the implications of these passages. If they are true, Jesus has done for us more than we can possibly imagine. The gift and grace God has given us through Jesus is insane.

Galatians 3:26-29 “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ Jesus have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Galatians 4:6-7 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”

Romans 8:15-17 “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Romans 8:29-32 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things”

Ephesians 1:3 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

Colossians 2:9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ…”

Colossians 3:1,3 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above,… For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:22 “For in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 “All things are yours… all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.”
John 14:20 "On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you."

And the list goes on and on. What Jesus has done for us is amazing… Jesus’ death and resurrection has provided a way for people to be forgiven and come into an eternal relationship with God. This relationship is not just a creation Creator relationship, it's a Father son/daughter relationship. God becomes our Father; we become his sons and daughters, born anew of his Spirit. Because of this we actually become the heirs of all that is God’s! All of heaven and earth will be ours in Christ. This is crazy...

I was looking over the mountains of North Carolina thinking, in Christ these are mine. My Father is the owner of it all; someday he is going to give it to me and to all who are in Christ! Talk about security. Talk about hope. Talk about confidence. What is there to worry about when you know that one day you will inherit eternity? What is there to fear? Jesus has allowed us to be heirs of everything. So much of our worldly system revolves around making ourselves secure or protecting ourselves. Who has to make themselves secure when you’ve been given God as your Father? Who has to worry when the Creator of the universe is on your side? Who has to care what others think of you when God says “you’re my child”? What great security and peace. What great hope.

As I stood looking over the mountains, I couldn't stop thinking about how blessed I am to know the hope that is in Jesus. I wish everyone could know the hope, peace and joy that are in God. There is nothing else in the world like it.

May peace and joy fill your hearts through the knowledge of the hope Christ has given us. Amen.

a psalm

2010-02-10T02:49:00.003+01:00

I am currently taking a class on spiritual disciplines or said differently, spiritual practices. For the class I had to write a psalm. Here is what I wrote:

You oh LORD are God.
You alone and there is no other.
You are from ancient of days.
There is none who compares with you.

You are the only eternal fulfillment.
You are the only well spring of life.
All other wells run dry.
There is none who compares with you.

The gods of this age are but a breath. They are a mist that vanishes.
In vanity men run after empty hope. Their thirst is never quenched.
Only in you is satisfaction.
Only in you is everlasting joy.

Praise the LORD oh my soul.
He is the River of Delight.
He is my Song and my Salvation.

sustained

2010-02-02T15:05:00.003+01:00

It is amazing how one simple truth can change our lives. One of the life changing truths I have encountered and continue to encounter is the reality that life is sustained by a loving God. This truth has given me great freedom. It has allowed me to “let go” and trust in the care of my Maker. It has taught me not to be god, but to let God be God. It has given me assurance that an infinite resource of love and power is with me, watching over me, and guiding me. And it has shown me that I am not my own; I am God’s – made by him, through him, and for him.

The simple truth that a loving God sustains me has changed me. I don’t have to be in control. He is in control. I don’t have to “make” a life for myself. He is the guide of my life (if I will listen). I don’t have to create an identity. He is my identity (In love I was made by and for him).

This simple truth has completely changed the way I live. In it I have found great freedom and security. Oh how our world would change if we could recognize the simple truth that a loving God sustains us.

Jeremiah 31:3 “I have loved you with an everlasting love. I have drawn you with loving kindness.”

Psalm 3:5 “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.”

Psalm 18:35 “You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.”

Psalm 51:2 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit , to sustain me.”

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Psalm 54:4 “Surely God is my help; the LORD is the one who sustains me.”

Psalm 104:14-15 “He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.”

Psalm 119:116 “Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live: do not let my hope be dashed.”

Psalm 146:9 “The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow,”

Psalm 147:6 “The LORD sustains the humble,….”

Isaiah 50:4 “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.”

Isaiah 46:4 “Even to your old ages and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

Colossians 1:15-17 “He is the image of the invisible God… For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,… all things were created through him and for him… and in him all things hold together.”

Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory, and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by is powerful word.”

simplicity

2010-01-22T04:06:00.003+01:00

We humans have a knack for making things complicated.

We make relationship complicated, society complicated, religion complicated, heck, we make life complicated.

I love how Jesus made life simple. He derived simplicity out of complexity. He took a complex religious way of life and boiled it down to the basics. What would our world be like if could just stick to the basics?

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40

the law of green

2009-12-18T22:12:00.004+01:00

My daily meditation a couple weeks ago was centered in the book of Romans. Romans is an amazing book about freedom in Christ. Romans teaches us that all have fallen short of God’s standards/laws, all are under judgment because of this, and yet all through faith are forgiven (made right with God) freely through grace given to us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.

As I was reading Romans I was feeling rather detached from “the law”, the law meaning God’s law. I didn’t grow up Jewish or Christian for that matter, thus I never learned about God’s law. As a result I never developed an inner conviction of what it meant to break his law. I didn’t understand God as holy, righteous, or just. Nor did I understand what sin was. And viewing myself as a sinner just didn’t compute. I suppose there are a lot of people who can relate to me on this.

What I did understand were my deficiencies. I understood my shortcomings. I understood my inabilities to live up to even my own standards. Prior to my relationship with God in Jesus, I spent a lot of time reading the Tao Te Ching. It was a spiritual guide for me. I still go back to it from time to time. As I read Lao Tzu’s writings I continued to see my shortcomings. I didn’t have the peace he wrote about. I was incapable of achieving the harmony and subtle being he so eloquently described. Yet I strove ahead. I continued to read about and practice eastern meditation; I dove into self-help books, all in the hopes to achieve an inner enlightenment and the power to overcome my deficiencies. And yet, time and time again, I fell short. I was trying to achieve something I didn’t have the power to do. I needed a power outside myself to give me what I lacked.

I was born broken, deficient, and incomplete. I was born into the world this way and had no power in myself to deliver myself from it. Thankfully God knew all this. Thankfully he knew we could not save ourselves, no matter how legalistic or righteous we become. The most moral, righteous, legalistic person in the world is still deficient, still imperfect, still in need of completion. Actually the highly moral, legalistic types can easily fall into the shortcomings of pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness, which is what many Christians are labeled as.

In reality, to be a Christian, one has to be humble, or as Jesus said, like a child. To be a Christian is to recognize your shortcomings, what the Bible calls sin. It is to recognize you fall short of not only your own standards, but God’s as well. It is to accept God’s provision for our shortcomings, which is Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus died for our sins, he paid the price we could never pay, so that we could be freed from the law and be restored to God by grace. Jesus is the power outside ourselves who restores us in our relationship with God. The restoration gives us the life of God within. Once we are restored in our relationship with God through Jesus, his inner Presence works to help us overcome our moral defects. All this is a gracious gift. It is undeserved. There is nothing we can do on our own to make us righteous. It is a gift from above.

Today I see a different “righteousness” as work in our world. A different “law” if you will. Secular postmodern America and Europe doesn’t readily recognize the supreme law of God, but it does increasingly recognize a law. This law can be every bit as legalistic, every bit as judgmental, and every bit as oppressive, as religious law. It’s the law of Green.

The law of Green, as I am calling it, is a growing environmentalism mindset. Please don’t get me wrong, I believe we should be good stewards of the earth, I have even worked on an organic farm and am hoping to grow my own organic vegetables some day. What I am talking about as the law of Green is a legalistic and self-righteous mindset about the environment. Let me give you some examples.

Amongst certain circles, if you don’t feed your kids organic food, you’re a bad mother. If you don’t purchase organic, fair-trade, or used clothing you are a bad or ignorant person. If you don’t support cap and trade you are an irresponsible, capitalistic, nature hater. If you don’t ride your bike or commute to work, you are wasteful and over-consumptive. You get the jest? There is a law here, an environmental law. A law by which some are in and some are out, depending on how you live. Some are righteous and some are unrighteous. Some are good and some are bad. It is a form of legalism, devoid from traditional religion, but not devoid of righteousness.

The problem however, is this is an oppressive mindset. Who can really live up to its standards? Over the summer I had a conversation with an environmentally aware person who expressed guilt for not being able to feed her children purely organic food. This woman felt guilt for not living up to a modern standard of righteousness, as a result her spirit felt condemned. She was guilty; she had broken the law of Green. What hope then is there for people like her?

In the age we live in, it is virtually impossible to live a “no carbon footprint” life. By the nature of our society we are dependent on fossil fuels, many of us live in energy inefficient homes and can’t afford to change it, the products we purchase are overly packaged or unjustly produced, and affordable food is produced at a detriment to the environment. What can we do? Under the law of Green, we are all condemned. We all fall short. What or who can save us from this condemnation?

This is exactly what Romans is about. Romans is about falling short. It’s not about giving up, it’s about recognizing that we all fall short, we all transgress, not only our own standards, but God’s as well. And yet, there is hope. There is a savior. There is one who took the punishment we deserved, so that we could be forgiven. He died so that we could live. He took the consequences of our sin, even our environmental sin, so that we could be set free, free from condemnation, free to love, free to better our world without being enslaved by our defects. In Jesus there is forgiveness, restoration, and new beginnings. In Jesus we don’t have to be bound by a legalistic environmentalism. In Jesus we are set free from our shortcoming and thus empowered to live rightly, not because of law, but because of love.

Love becomes our motive, we love because he loved us, and love is the fulfillment of the law. In Jesus, we can live to care for our neighbors, even our plant and animal neighbors, out of love, not out of guilt. Are we therefore to care for the environment? Yes. Are we to judge our neighbors or even ourselves for our environmental sin? No. We have all fallen short and are freely justified by God’s grace in Jesus. Let us then accept one another, helping each other know the love of God, so that we can live a life of love, towards all creatures.

Romans 3:9-31
“What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”….

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”

Romans 8:1-2
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 13:8-10
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

reflecting on knowing God

2009-12-03T03:17:00.005+01:00

Recently in my daily mediation I have been reading in the book of 1 John. What emerged from the mediation was a deeper understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. It started in 1 John 2:3-6. From there I began to ask questions and search the Bible for clues. All this led me deeper into the biblical message of what it really means to know God. Below are my gleanings.

1 John 2:3-6
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

If someone claims to know God, they must follow his commands and live as Jesus did. What then are his commands?

1 John 3:23-24
“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.”

1 John 4:21
“And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

The commands, according to 1 John, are to believe in Jesus and to love another as he commanded us. But what does it mean to love one another as he commanded us?

John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

To love one another as he commanded us is to love one another as Jesus loved us. How then did Jesus love us?

1 John 4:9-11
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

1 John 3:16
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

Jesus loved us by laying his life down for us. He took upon himself the consequences of our sins. He who was without sin, become sin for us, that we may be forgiven and restored in our relationship with God. And all this because of love.

My conclusion is this: to know God is to obey him by believing in Jesus and loving others through laying our lives down for them as Christ laid his life down for us. When we live like this we are living like Jesus and thus show true knowledge of God. If a person who claims to know God does not live a life of sacrificial love, then they are lying and not living by the truth. Stated differently:

1 John 4:16-17
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.”

More thoughts on love:

1 John 4:7-8
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

1 John 4:12
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

Galatians 5:6
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

Galatians 5:13-14
“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Romans 13:8-10
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

Ephesians 5:1-2
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

1 Corinthians 13:3-8, 13
“If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

daily meditation

2009-11-17T04:02:00.002+01:00

My morning meditation today was from the book of Colossians. I was awed by the magnitude of Jesus and what he has given us.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross." Colossians 1:15-20

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." Colossians 2: 9-10

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:2-4

quotes

2009-11-13T18:27:00.001+01:00

Here are a few good quotes I've collected along the way...

Words of an old Hasidic rabbi
“When I was young, I set out to change the world. When I grew older, I perceived that this was too ambitious so I set out to change my state. This, too, I realized as I grew older was too ambitious, so I set out to change my town. When I realized I could not even do this, I tried to change my family. Now as an old man, I know that I should have started by changing myself. If I had started with myself, maybe then I would have succeeded in changing my family, the town, or even the state – and who knows, maybe even the world!”

The movie Contact
“I was given something that changed her forever, a vision of a universe that tells us undeniably how tiny and insignificant and rare and precious we all are. A vision that tells us that we belong to something that is greater then ourselves, that we are not, that none of us are alone. I wish that everyone, even if for one moment could feel that awe, and humility and hope. That continues to be my wish.”

Tom Marshall in Understanding Leadership pg. 80
"[God] is concerned with the inner change, not the kind of things I do but the kind of person I become. For example, he does not want me to go around doing kind deeds all the time; he wants me to become a kind person. God does not want me to go round speaking the literal truth out on each and every occasion, he wants me to become a true person, then there will be integrity about everything I do or say. Therefore he is also not concerned about me going around doing servant things all the time but having a servant heart."

Soren Kierkegaard
"The truth consists not in knowing the truth intellectually but in being the truth... Knowing the truth is something which follows as a matter of course from being the truth, and not conversely. And it is precisely for this reason it becomes untruth when knowing the truth is separated from being the truth, or when knowing the truth is treated as one and the same thing as being the truth, since the true relation is the converse of this: to be the truth is one and the same thing as knowing the truth."

Sam Shoemaker “The Spiritual Angle” The Grapevine
“The church has always been a scratch company of sinners. It is not the best people in the community, gathered together for self-congratulation; it is the people who know they have a great need, gathered to find its answer in worship toward God and fellowship with one another. The church is not a museum; it is a hospital.”

Aristotle
“It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most human beings live only for the gratification of it.”

dreams

2009-11-03T05:08:00.006+01:00

You ever have a dream, that you just couldn't shake? A dream that penetrated your soul? A dream that was somehow real, and yet somehow a dream. Well, I had one of those dreams two years ago this month. It's a dream that hasn't left me. I can still see it and feel it. This was it:

It was dark. To the right of me was a large red bricked building. Below me was a forest of dead and brittle trees. The presence of evil emanated from the forest. I was hovering slightly above trees, sustained by a supernatural force. As I was hovering above the forest, a vine caught my foot and I fell. I landed face down in the mud-like dirt. I was unable to move, paralyzed by the presence of evil. In front of me was a vast abyss of darkness. The earth began to tremble. In the darkness was coming a horrid beast. Intuitively I knew his sole aim was to ravage and destroy me. He was coming to devour me. And I knew who he was, he was Satan. I was frozen stiff with fear, as if a heavy weight was pinning me to the ground. In my desperation I cried out, Jesus save me! Jesus save me! In an instant, an immeasurable power took a hold of me and pulled me with lighting speed. I was pulled through the forest into an open expanse of white covered hills, with blue light-filled skies. I looked up and there before me were two enormous prehistoric lions, fifteen feet in height. I intuitively knew that these creatures had somehow saved me. One was directly in front of me and one was to my right. Their fir was golden brown and clothed them like a robe. Their faces were massive with saber-like teeth. The one directly in front of me leaned forward; looking directly into my eyes he touched me with his head. Renewed with strength I arose. The two beasts turned and began walking toward the forest. I turned and followed. I knew danger was present, I also knew a great power was with me. Then I awoke.

who are we? continued…

2009-10-26T02:05:00.004+01:00

I finished reading the Gospel of John, now I am reading in the book of Ephesians. As I was reading it I was struck by how interwoven the book is with the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John moves from who the Son is to who we are through faith in the Son. The book of Ephesians continues to unpack who we are in Christ. If I were to state the theme of the book I would say it is: who we (the church) are in Christ Jesus and as a result, how we are to live. There are profound statements made in Ephesians about our identity in Christ. If what this book says is true, then through faith in Christ, we have been given far more than we can imagine. Our identity and calling in Christ is immense, even beyond comprehension. What if we believed what Ephesians said was true? How could it impact how we live? Here are some of my gleanings…

People who place their faith in Jesus are:

Saints

Ephesians 1:1 “To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus”

Given every spiritual blessing

Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,”

Made holy and blameless

Ephesians 1:4 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

Adopted into God’s family

Ephesians 1:5 “he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”

Forgiven

Ephesians 1:7-8 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight…”

United with God the Father in Christ

Ephesians 1:9-10 “…making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

Given an inheritance

Ephesians 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

Ephesians 1:18 “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”

Indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

The body of Christ

Ephesians 1:22-23 “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Ephesians 5:30 “…because we are members of his body.”

Made alive

Ephesians 2:5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ”

Raised up with him and seated with him in heaven

Ephesians 2:6 “…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

Saved by grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Created to do good works

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Made one with all who believe (both Jews and Gentiles)

Ephesians 2:17-18 “And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”

Citizens and members of God’s household

Ephesians 2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”

A dwelling place, a holy temple for God’s Spirit

Ephesians 2:22 “In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”

God’s wisdom being made known

Ephesians 3:10 “…so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

Filled with the fullness of God

Ephesians 3:18-19 “…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

God’s glory

Ephesians 3:21 “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Given spiritual gifts to help each other grow in the fullness of Christ

Ephesians 4:11-13 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”

Given a new self, created in the likeness of God

Ephesians 4:22-24 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Light in the world

Ephesians 5:8-9 “…for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),”

Loved by Christ

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”

who are we?

2009-10-19T17:15:00.005+02:00

As I have been reading through John I have been pondering the question, who is Jesus? Today the question changed. Today I started asking the question, who are we? In the Gospel of John Jesus makes some profound statements about what becomes of those who believe in him. So my questions are, what happens to those who believe in Jesus? What becomes of them? Who are they? And what are they to do?

This is what I found out, people who believe in Jesus become:

Children of God (God is now their Father)

John 1:12-13 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 20:17 “Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Participants in God’s eternal life

John 3:16, 17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

John 11:25, 26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and
believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Free from the consequence of sin

John 8:24 “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”

John 8:34-36 “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Indwelt by Jesus and the Father

John 14:18-20 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

John 17:26 “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Indwelt by God’s Spirit

John 14:15-17 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

John 20:22 “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Sent to represent the Father and the Son

John 13:20 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

John 17:18 “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”

John 20:21 “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Witnesses of God’s love through imitating Jesus’ love and unity with the Father

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

John 17:20-23 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Bearers of good fruit

John 15:8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Reflectors of God’s glory

John 15:8 “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

John 16:14 “He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

John 17:10 “All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.”

John 17:22 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,”

People of God, not people of the world

John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

John 17:14 “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

John 17:16 “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

Fellow suffers with Christ

John 15:18, 20 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you… Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”

If these scriptures are true of those who believe in Jesus, who wouldn’t want to believe in him? They paint a beautiful picture of forgiveness, renewed life, restoration of God as our Father, intimacy with God, inner transformation, love, and purpose. This is what Jesus intended for those who follow him. He didn’t intend legalistic religion. He intended to give them life, love, fellowship with God, and a purpose to bring life and love to others. And this is what Jesus intended the church to be. Not a religious social club, but a community of people, filled with the life of God, who are loving each other and sharing God’s love with the world. Now that is something I can get excited about being a part of.

who is this man? continued...

2009-10-16T19:42:00.003+02:00

Here are some more insane statements by Jesus in the Gospel of John. As C.S. Lewis said, either Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or he is who he said he was, Lord. Biased on what Jesus said about himself, it is hard to imagine him being a good moral teacher. If he was just a religious teacher then he’d be a liar and no longer good or moral. He is either crazy, a liar, or… God. Trippy stuff… Here are the Scriptures:

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

“I am the bread that came down from heaven.” John 6:41

“I am the bread of life.” John 6:48

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever.” John 6:51

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” John 8:24

“Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5

“I am the door.” John 10:9

“I am the good shepherd.” John 10:11

“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” John 11:25

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:37

It is hard to deny... Jesus thought he was the man. Who makes these kinds of claims? I've met many people who don't believe Jesus is God, instead they think he was a good teacher (and he did teach good things). But how could he be a good teacher and make the above statements? Either he was who he said he was and therefore is good or he's an egotistical nut case. What other options are there?

For me, I started believing in Jesus a number of years ago. I didn't grow up knowing about him, but when I begin believing in him, I experienced the "eternal life" thing he keeps talking about in John. I experienced it in my soul and spirit. It has been like a river of life inside of me. It is hard to explain. It's like a mixture of joy, peace, love, and happiness in the depths of my being. It is like God came into me and breathed life into my soul. It is crazy, but it is amazing. Better then any drug I ever did. And it is free to anyone... all we have to do is turn to Jesus, open up our hearts and believe.

who is this man?

2009-10-15T19:11:00.005+02:00

A friend and I decided to read through the Gospel of John, in the Bible. To be honest, I was taken back by the radical statements of Jesus. I have read all kinds of religious writings, from Hinduism to Taoism to Buddhism to Islam, but have never read of a moral religious leader who made the statements that Jesus made. It’s as though Jesus thinks he is equal with and is God. You got to check out these statements and they get more radical as they go…

“Whoever receives his (Jesus’) testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God,…” John 3:33-24

“So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise… Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” John 5:19, 23

“Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.” John 6:45-46

“So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” John 7:16

“You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John 8:19

“…I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.” John 8:28

“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I come not on my own accord, but he sent me.” John 8:42

“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30

“If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” John 10:37-38

“And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.” John 12:44-45

“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me." John 12:49-50

“…whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” John 13:20

“Jesus said to him… “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” John 14:7-11

“All I have heard from the Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

This is wild stuff… it got me thinking…. If Jesus did not speak on his own, but perfectly represented God the Father, what does God want us to know? What does God want to tell us through Jesus? This is what I found in John…

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” John 5:24

“Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." John 6:28-29

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life…. I am the living bread that comes down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” John 6:47, 51

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

From what I read in John, it seems that God the Father is telling us, in and through Jesus, to believe in Jesus so that we may have eternal life and to love one another as he loved us. What is God’s message to our world? Believe in Jesus and love one another as he loved us. Wow, so when God speaks to us he says... “Jesus." "Believe in him and love like him, and you will have my life in you forever.” Amazing.

Prince of Peace photo

settling in

2009-10-06T04:15:00.008+02:00

We've been in Asheville for a little over a month now. Though we've been here a short time we've had some great opportunities to meet people and explore the area. Here are a few of the things we gotten to do.

* Went on a family hike with llamas at Pisgah National Forest

* Went to a square dance fundraiser for the Lord's Acre (now that was some good old fun!)

* Visited the North Asheville Tailgate Market

* Went mountain biking with some folks I meet through the Asheville Mountain Biking Meet Up Group

* Lindy took a canning class at Earth Fare

* Visited the WNC Farmers Market (this market was incredible)

* Went apple picking with some friends at Sky Top Apple Orchard (the apples were for Lindy's apple butter canning project and humm is it yummy)

* Been volunteering at a community garden through The Bountiful Cities Project

* Saw Derek Webb play at the Grey Eagle

* Saw Shane Claiborne speak at Warren Wilson College

In addition to all this we've been enjoying being involved in the start up of Canvas, a new church plant in Asheville.

We are having fun exploring a new place, meeting new people, and getting connected.

harvest prayer

2009-10-02T20:02:00.004+02:00

Here is a wonderful prayer I just read by Christine Sine.

God of the Bountiful--A Harvest Prayer
by Christine Sine

"God, we thank you for your harvest, which feeds us so many times each day.

We are nourished with your forgiveness and hope,

We are sustained with your strength and patience,

We are filled with your grace and compassion.

God, we thank you for feeding us with a harvest of plenty.

We are restored through your generosity and healing,

We are replenished with your abundance and joy,

We are reminded of your selfless abandon.

God, we thank you for feeding us with the bread of heaven.

Your gift of Christ sustains our lives,

His presence restores the promise of your love,

His life fills our hearts with your everlasting light.

God, we thank you too for filling us with the water of life.

May we drink deeply that our thirst may be quenched,

May your river continue to flow,

Over us, in us, through us,

And out into the world you love."

in motion

2009-09-29T04:32:00.004+02:00

This is something special to watch.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth." Psalm 19:1-5

Now imagine with me for a moment, as you watch the video, what if... what if the earth is fixed... what if the sun and the stars and the moon are all spinning around us? What if...

the role of prayer in spiritual awakening and church planting

2009-09-26T04:43:00.003+02:00

Another pattern that emerges from the Book of Acts is the importance of prayer in spiritual awakening and church planting. Prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit seem to be directly tied together. I imagine that is why Paul told the Colossian church to "Devote yourselves to prayer." (Col. 4:2)

Here is a collection of verses on the role of prayer in the Acts:

Acts 1:14 - All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

Acts 1:24 - Then they prayed, “You, Lord, know the hearts of all; show which of these two You have chosen.”

Acts 2:42 - And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.

Acts 4:24, 31 “they raised their voices together in prayer to God... After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Acts 6:3b,4 “We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:6 - They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Acts 8:15 - After they went down there, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 9:11 - “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, since he is praying there.”

Acts 9:40 - Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.

Acts 10:2 - He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the [Jewish] people and always prayed to God.

Acts 10:9 - The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop at about noon.

Acts 10:30 - Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house. Just then a man in a dazzling robe stood before me...”

Acts 12:5 - So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church.

Acts 13:3 - Then, after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.

Acts 14:23 - When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 16:16 - Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction and made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling.

Acts 16:25 - About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 20:36 - After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.

Acts 21:5 - When our days there were over, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, escorted us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray...

Acts 22:17 - After I came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple complex, I went into a visionary state.

Acts 27:29 - Then, fearing we might run aground in some rocky place, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come.

Acts 28:8 - It happened that Publius’ father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him.

the role of the Holy Spirit in spirtual awakening and church planting

2009-09-23T16:40:00.004+02:00

This is a big week. We are beginning to form the core group of a new church planting initiative I am helping with. As I mentioned in my last post, Asheville is a very spiritual city. As we are forming the team and beginning incarnational missional engagement I am realizing we need to be spiritually centered in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, and sensitive to his leading. Reading through Acts has once again challenged me and opened my eyes to the necessity of God's work being carried out through the power and leading of His Spirit. It is how the church was born and how it is to advance.

Consider the following references in Acts to the work of the Holy Spirit in the context of spiritual awakening and church planting:

Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 2:4 - Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.

Acts 2:17 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.”

Acts 2:33 - Therefore, since He has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear.

Acts 4:8 - Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders...”

Acts 4:31 - When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness.

Acts 6:3 - Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.

Acts 6:10 - But they were unable to stand up against the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Acts 7:55 - But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw God’s glory, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said...

Acts 8:29 - The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”

Acts 8:39 - When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing.

Acts 9:17 “Brother Saul, the Lord – Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here – has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 9:31 - So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.

Acts 10:19 “While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him…”

Acts 10:44 - While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who heard the message.

Acts 11:24 - ...for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith—and large numbers of people were added to the Lord.

Acts 11:28 - Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the time of Claudius.

Acts 13:2 - As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have called them to.”

Acts 13:4 - Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Acts 13:52 “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 16:6-7 - They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Acts 19:6 “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied”

Acts 20:23 - ...except that in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.

Acts 20:28 - Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

Acts 21:4 - So we found some disciples and stayed there seven days. They said to Paul through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem.

God’s work on earth is a work of the Spirit. The Spirit is God’s life giving gift to all who believe. To do God’s work we must be filled with and guided by the Spirit. He is our life and our guide. If you don’t have the Spirit, ask the Father and he will give it to you.

Luke 11:11-13 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you , then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

John 3:34-36 “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Sons will not see life,…”

jesus centered spirituality

2009-09-19T01:47:00.007+02:00

I have been in Asheville only a short time, but one thing I have notice is how spiritual the people are. You see it on posters, in shops, and in the newspapers. One of the local papers listed 39 different spiritual groups meeting on a weekly basis. The groups include such things as "Awakening Practices", "Mystic Gatherings", and "Meditation for Beginners".

As I was pondering this, I believe God reminded me of the deeply spiritual and mystical nature of a relationship with God in Christ. I then began to read through the Gospel of John and was again reminded of the life giving spiritual relationship that Jesus offers us. All this got me thinking about a study I did on the spiritual nature of a relationship with Jesus. The study develops a Biblical picture of God's spiritual work starting with creation and ending with his relationship with us today. Below are the verses from that study. The bold faced words are my highlighting of Biblical spirituality.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2

“The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of YHWH will rest on him…” Isaiah 11:1-2

“Immediately as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” Mark 1:10

“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’” John 3:5-6

“God is spirit, and his worships must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

“On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow within him.” By this he meant the Spirit whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” John 7:37-39

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” John 14:15-20

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.”…. “this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Acts 2:1-4, 16-17

"God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6

“Now the Lord (meaning Jesus) is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Jesus centered spirituality means having the Spirit of Jesus, the Infinite, Personal, Life-Giving, Creator God, living in you. It means walking in step with the Spirit of Jesus, knowing the sweetness of his presence, and following the distinctiveness of his voice. It means living by a power greater than yourself and through that power learning to love others, even your enemies, as Jesus himself did.

Jesus centered spirituality starts with encountering Jesus; it starts by turning from our ways to his ways and from trusting in ourselves to trusting in him. He came to show us “the way” to be human. He offers reconciliation between God and man, man and man, and man and creation. He offers all people forgiveness of sins and with that the restoring, rebirthing Life, of the Spirit of God. As he said himself, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

jesus through photography

2009-09-17T01:46:00.006+02:00

I just came across an amazing photography project by Michael Belk. Michael Belk worked as a fashion photographer. He is said to be one of the best. According to his website his work has appeared in Vogue, Elle, GQ and Vanity Fair. And his clients have included Nautica, J.Crew, Polo and Christian Dior. The project is entitled Journeys with the Messiah. It is a gripping portrait of Jesus. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

made it

2009-09-12T15:59:00.003+02:00

We made it to Asheville!

We are settling into our new apartment in what is called West Asheville. We are digging the area. We have a park close by where the kids can play. We have a cool downtown area a few minutes away by bike. So far our neighbors have been very friendly. Across the hall from us are three sisters who are 87, 90 and 91. On our first day here Ellen, the 90 year old, gave us all big hugs telling us that Jesus loved us and how happy they were that we moved in. Wow! What a wonderful God filled welcome. It was a true blessing and a confirmation that we are in God's care.

Next week we start jumping in with Highland Christian Church and the coming church plant. Over the next couple weeks a church planting team will be forming, which is exciting to be a part of.

We are on a big adventure. With a lot going on! New city, new job, new church, and new baby on the way.... We have a lot of exploring, learning, and settling to do. We would definitely appreciate your prayers for this new phase of life.

If you are interested in learning more about Asheville you can check out:
Mountain Xpress
Explore Asheville

On a different note, I have a book to recommend. If you are interested in reading an inspiring and challenging book about how Christians can relevantly engage culture through small communities on mission, you got to check out The Tangible Kingdom. It is a well written book from people practicing incarnational church planting. Well worth the read.

the fort

2009-08-24T22:57:00.005+02:00

Been in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Fort Collins and Colorado in general have a special place in my heart. I lived here for eight years before moving to Amsterdam. I have many great memories of trekking through the mountains, fishing the rivers, and camping in the wilderness. Yet Colorado is more than mountains to me. I came here for the mountains, but left with a relationship with God.

Fort Collins is where I found God or where God found me. It is where I began my journey of faith, my discovery of the Bible, and my experience of following Jesus together with others. In Fort Collins I not only experienced God's love in Jesus, I experienced the beauty of a community who followed Jesus together. The journey was not always clean, but it was real. And years later, those who I started the faith journey with, and those I saw enter the faith journey, are still some of the closest people to my heart. Seeing them this week has reminded me of the great love I have for them. I miss sharing life with them and sharing in Christ with them. I know we will have all of eternity to enjoy one another and explore Gods works, still I miss doing so now.

These past few months have been a lot of hellos and goodbyes. It is strange having people you love scattered all over the States and the world. It is heart aching to be close to those you care about and then leave again. I can relate to what Paul said when he said:

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-8

There are many wonderful people in Fort Collins. I am grateful for all God did in my life here and for all the friendships we have as a result of it.

quick update

2009-08-11T05:07:00.004+02:00

We finished at the farm. It was a great experience. It was rejuvenating to be outside. I also learned a ton about growing vegetables. It gave me a good foundation and reference point for possible future endeavors.

After the farming we loaded up our new mini-van and headed to Colorado. We have been in Colorado for a few days and are currently at MTI attending the DAR program. After MTI we head to Fort Collins. We are looking forward to seeing old friends and ministry partners in the Fort.

So far the trip has gone well. I think our reverse culture shock kicked in a bit more since leaving rural Michigan and entering urban Denver. We had forgotten about the traffic and urban sprawl of Denver.

As for the Mines of Moria.... I think what it is coming down to is trusting my nose. (I will let you ponder the meaning of that...)

Verse of the hour/week/month - James 1:2-8

the mines of moria

2009-08-03T22:19:00.003+02:00

Remember in the Mines of Moria, when Gandalf forgot the way? He was sitting in front of three doors and couldn't decide which way to go. Well, that's me right now, and I am hoping to get a scent of fresh air like Gandalf did.

reflecting

2009-07-18T04:02:00.005+02:00

I wrote this nine days prior to departing from Amsterdam, thought I would share it.

"In departing Amsterdam I have been thinking about what God has taught me and how he has shaped me into greater Christ-likeness. God has taught me a lot pertaining to what it means to follow Jesus, in understanding who He is, how to be effective in leadership and missions, and in character issues. Below are some of the things I have learned. (note: there is a story behind each of things I have learned. I don't have time to share them here, but every story for good or for bad has impressed itself upon me, shaped me, and drawn me closer to God.)

* The importance of humility

* Be a model of what you teach

* The importance of reproducing my life into others - always bring someone with me.

* Believe for people what they can't believe for themselves.

* Godly authority in leadership should come through relational and spiritual authority not positional authority.

* Influence proceeds from one's walk with God. Lead as he leads me.

* A deeper awareness of the impact and influence a leader has on people.

* The importance of listening to what God wants before listening to what people want.

* Leadership bearings need to come from God.

* Lead people to Jesus.

* People need input, feedback, affirmation, and care from their leaders.

* A deeper understanding of how important it is not to avoid conflict but to confront issues head on, honestly and forthrightly. Issues will come back to bite you if not addressed.

* A renewed vision for simple disciple making and multiplication.

* A deeper understanding of the order of priorities in life - God, my wife, my family, others

* My shepherding of others should come out of my shepherding of my family.

* The importance of never violating your conscience, but listening to the small still voice in my heart and trusting it.

* God is a God who disciplines and even wounds us for our good and his glory.

* A deeper understanding of the spiritual realm and the spiritual forces that are at work in the world.

* A deeper realization of the importance of prayer and fasting.

* A deeper realization of the importance of the Bible being the authority in the lives of individual Christians and the church.

* A broader understanding of the social aspect of the gospel - meaning God's care for the poor and his concern for social justice.

* A deeper knowlege of God as our provider. He has meet our needs consistently over the years.

* A deeper understanding of God's graciousness and faithfulness. God's power is truly made perfect in our weakness.

* A deeper understanding of the importance of uprightness, righteousness, and integrity in relation to leadership and walking with God.

* A deeper understanding of the foundational value and importance of loving one another as the basic essence of Christian living.

* A deeper understanding and realization that the gospel should be at the center of all I do and teach. Christ is to be the center of his church.

* A deeper understanding of the importance of perseverance, persistence and endurance - Galatians 6:7-9 is true.

* A deeper understanding of God's mercy, grace and forgiveness. God is merciful.

* A deeper fear of God - all God's ways are good, he is to be revered and held fast to.

* A deeper understanding that in God is freedom, life, and peace.

* A greater understanding of the importance of being thoughtful and intentional in my discipleship relationships. Meaning, to think about what I am "passing on" to others.

* A deeper understanding that simple acts of love go a long way. They can actually change a person's life.

* A greater awareness that the love and support a small group of believers can impact and transform a persons life.

*A broader understanding of God's work in the world and his power to transform the lives of all peoples in all cultures.

* The realization that God had a purpose for us being in Amsterdam. God will fulfil his purpose for us, all we need to do is be willing to follow and obey, he will do the rest."

harvest time

2009-07-17T04:45:00.000+02:00

The harvest keeps on coming... this week was spinach, lettuce mix, broccoli, carrots, kale, dill, red potatoes, Romain lettuce, garlic, squash, and onions.

And boy is it tasty!

missing home

2009-07-13T04:42:00.003+02:00

So far my time in America has felt a bit surreal, kind of like a vacation, kind of like a furlow, kind of like an adventure. But it hasn't felt like home. I have enjoyed the slow pace life of rural Michigan and the new experiences of farming. I have enjoyed the time with family and the time to decompress from urban living. But it is not home. Actually, I have been missing home. I have been missing my friends and spiritual community. I have been missing the sights, sounds, and smells of Amsterdam. The city, though foreign, was my home and I am missing it. As I sit here I can hear the trams. I can smell the canals. I can feel the wind upon my face while riding my bike. I can see the diversity of faces walking through the streets. I can taste fresh bread and cheese. As I sit here I remember the laughter of friends, walking to the market with the kids, talking to people at Zolder50, and eating apple tart with Eric. It is strange to think we are not returning to Amsterdam. It feels like its about time to go home...

fruits of the labor

2009-06-30T03:28:00.003+02:00

been harvesting.... turnips, onions, collard greens, swiss chard, radishes, lettuce, and spinach

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

catching up

2009-06-20T04:17:00.008+02:00

Been lagging on my blog posts...

Here is a brief update.

A week ago Lindy and I visited Asheville, NC. It is a possibility we may move there in the fall. We are exploring partnering with a local church with the goal to do outreach and church planting amongst Asheville's new age/environmentalist population. Asheville is a small mecca for new agers and neo-hippies. It is kind of like the Bolder, CO of the East.

After that my Dad, brother, and I went fishing in Canada. We caught some nice fish. As well as got some black fly bites... The pic is my dad holding up a pike my bro caught.

At the farm we had our first harvest week. We harvested spinach and radishes. Been cleaning lots of yummy spinach...

I also butchered my first chicken. I've been wanting to learn how to butcher a chicken for a number of years. For two reasons really. One, to know how to clean a bird. You never know when that skill may come in handy. Two, to better understand where my food comes from and how it goes from a living creature to my dinner table. I wanted to experience what it is like to take the life of the animal I have eaten all my life.

That's my quick update.

church in rural michigan

2009-06-02T02:30:00.001+02:00

I like this picture - a pristen church with pickups out front. This is church in Rural Michigan. The church to the right is a Christian Reformed church in the town of Ellsworth. It's the church we have been attending. The format is very traditional, but the messages are meaty. The pastor and his family ministered ten years in Tawain and six years in the Phillipians. Funny how we've met international missionaries in rural America.

It is also funny that Ellsworth is historicaly a Dutch founded community. The church originally had its services in Dutch! It's still attended by many people with Dutch ansestry. We can't seem to get away from those Dutches... :)

playing for change

2009-05-24T03:07:00.000+02:00

This is smooth!

planting

2009-05-21T03:15:00.010+02:00

Been planting... planting potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and lettuce. Here I am on the potato planter. Below that is Ryan pulling the potato planter.

After we planted the plants belonging to the Brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, brussel sprouts) we had to collar the plants. Meaning we had to put cardboard tubes (pieces of toilet paper roll) around the plants to keep the "cut worm" from getting them.

As I was placing the toilet paper rolls over the plants (I was doing this on my hands and knees for about two hours) I was thinking about spiritual metaphors.

I thought about how planting requires a person to be on their knees. Then I thought about sowing God's Word and how it requires us to be on our knees, in prayer.

I thought about the young plants susceptibility to the "cut worm". Then I thought about young Christians and young churches susceptibility to spiritual worms. Worms such as pride, disunity, unbelief, and lust.

I thought about the toilet paper rolls role as a protective barrier to the worm. Then I thought about the importance of spiritual protection. Protection such as prayer, humility, the truth of God's Word, and accountability.

Next I began to think that church plants and plants have a lot of similarities. Young plants are vulnerable to nasty pests such as the cut worm. So are young churches. For a young church to survive (even an old one) it has to be protected. Protected with an Ephesians 6 kind of protection, as well as a John 17 kind of protection, and a James 5 protection, also a Hebrews 3:12-14, and a Hebrews 12:14-16 type of protection.

As I was thinking about all this I thought it would make for a great sermon. I could entitle it "The Kingdom of God is like a Toilet Paper Roll".

chopped

2009-05-20T02:30:00.000+02:00

Before

After

Before

After

Happy Mother's Day Mom and Grandma!

protesters

2009-05-18T02:18:00.001+02:00

These are some dangerous protesters

impressed

2009-05-13T01:53:00.000+02:00

I am impressed; impressed with the level of community at the farm. Neighbors help each other here. They share tools, run errands for one another, and lend a hand with personal projects. I can’t say I have ever experienced the level of neighborly care that I have witnessed here. In Amsterdam we lived in extremely close proximity to our neighbors and yet people stayed to themselves. Neighbors did not talk to each other much or even acknowledge one another. Here, neighbors live quite a bit apart from one another, yet they stop by for a chat, offer help with a task, or stop to see how things are going. It's a beautiful thing. It’s a real community.

I am also impressed with the bartering. The people in the area barter for all kinds of stuff. They barter for their marketing, farm work, mechanical work, pickled products, and baby sitting. And I am sure there is more. The community trades their services for other services and it works. It’s an alternate economy. I am impressed.

in the field

2009-05-12T03:09:00.000+02:00

Been running electrical fencing.

Saw a flock of wild turkeys. They were doing a funky war dance.

Starting to get ruff farmer hands.... and farmer tan....

the hoop house

2009-05-08T19:48:00.000+02:00

Worked on installing hoop house ventilation today. Notice the lower right side of the picture, see how the plastic is rolled up. We installed the roll up system on both sides of the hoop house. But I will tell you, it gets hot in those hoop houses!

2009-05-06T18:46:00.000+02:00

Today I learned how to do the chores for April. April is a milking cow. Because she is pregnant we can't milk her yet. In June she will give birth, after that we will be drinking plenty of fresh milk. It will be great for the kids to see a baby calf born!

I also seeded flats in the green house. Seeding flats is a bit monotonous and it makes your hands very dirty. I was planting seeds in peat moss mixed with a manure compost... yummy.

On a different note, I just read the book "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" by Rob Bell. In an artistic and broad stroke style Bell tells describes God's redemptive story from Adam and Eve to the present. It is an inspiring and insightful read. If you are not a Christian, but want to learn the overall story of the Bible, this would be a great book to pick up. It is a quick read, but once you are done with it, you will know more about the story of the Bible then most Christians do.

Till next time...

weed control

2009-05-05T18:44:00.000+02:00

Today was flame weeding...

The one I used looked a bit more like this... :)

we're back

2009-05-04T23:36:00.008+02:00

We are back in the U.S. of A! And I am farming...

Today was my first day on the farm. I learned to drive an 1951 Farmall Tractor. I used it to cultivate strawberries. It was cool.

For those of you who don't know, I am volunteering at a family farm this summer. We thought it would be nice to use our transition back to the States as an opportunity to learn a new skill and also decompress from city living!

The farm I am working at is Providence Farm. I am working with young farmers who are Lindy and my age with kids our kids age. If you haven't heard, there is a bit of a renewal in small scale farming among younger people. Here are a couple articles and websites about it:

Why We Farm, A Young Farmers Manifesto
The Young and the Landless
Freshman Farmer

We are looking forward to learning some new things and hopefully someday become more self-sufficient ourselves. I am also enjoying the feeling of being worn out at the end of the day. :)

More to come soon....

gifts

2009-04-26T11:44:00.009+02:00

We are departing with special treasures of memory. Over the past couple weeks we have received wonderful gifts from our friends and church community. We have received letters, Amsterdam shirts, books (including an ESV Study Bible!), a serving dish (for Lindy's good cooking!), pictures, words of encouragement and thanks, dinners, lunches, and a party. The past two weeks have been a true blessing to us. The gifts and memories we will carry with us always.

Last night Lindy and I received a new gift. Sokol organized a night out with the guys. It was a good gift, especially the steak dinner! Sunita organized a night of pampering for Lindy (message, nail painting, and other girl stuff!). We have been lavished with love. It has been very special to us.

Of all the gifts, the most unique gift is.... Russian dolls of the Watkins! What a treasure! Can you guess who made them? Oh, and you will notice, there is a baby in the bunch... Yep, a new baby is on the way!

all roads lead to Jesus

2009-04-24T21:59:00.003+02:00

"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." Jesus

"All individual stories (in the Bible) point us to Jesus... Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the temptation test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us (1Cor 15). Jesus is the true Able who through innocently slain has blood that cries out for our acquittal, not our condemnation (Heb 12:24). Jesus is the true Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the familiar and to out into the void “not knowing whither he went!” Jesus is the true "Isaac" who is the son of the laughter of grace who was offered up for us all. He is the true Jacob, who wrestled with God and took the blow of justice we deserved so we like Jacob only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up. He is the true Joseph, who at the right hand of the king forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them. Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant (Heb.3). He is the true Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God's justice. now gives us water in the desert. He is the true Joshua who is the general of the Lord's army. He is the true and better Job--the only innocent sufferer who then intercedes for his friends (Job 42). Jesus is the better Samson. whose death accomplishes so much good (Judges 16:31). He is the true David, whose victory becomes his people's victory though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves. Jesus is the true "Teacher" (Ecclesiastes) who may lead us through despair to help us find God. He is the true Jonah who went into the belly of the earth and so the people could be saved.” Tim Keller

And there is more...

"Jesus is the one through whom all people are created (John 1)… Jesus is the one who went through temptation and probation in the wilderness.... The exodus point to the true exodus Jesus led for his people through his death (Luke 9:31). He led them not just out of economic and political bondage, but out of bondage to sin and death itself… Jesus is very literally the true Israel, the Seed (Ga1.3: 16-17). He is the only one who is faithful to the covenant. He is a remnant of one. He fulfills all the obligations of the covenant. And earns the blessings of the covenant for all who believe. When Hosea talks about the exodus of Israel from Egypt, he says. 'Out of Egypt I have called my son" (Hos. 11: 1). Hosea calls all of Israel 'my son". But Matthew quotes this verse referring to Jesus (Matt.2: 15) because Jesus is the true Israel.” Tim Keller

All Biblical symbols point to Jesus. The bronze snake, the water of life from the smitten rock point to him. The entire sacrificial and temple system point to Jesus. Jesus is the sacrifice all the sacrifices point to (Hebrews 10). He is the bread on the altar in the temple (John 6). He is the light stand in the Holy Place (John 8) and the temple itself (John 2). In Jesus is the fulfillment of all the ceremonial clean laws about foods and ritual purification (Acts 10 and 11). We are now clean in him (Col. 2:10-11). Jesus is the Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). The Sabbath and the Jubilee point to him.

It's all about Jesus!

As he said himself "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelations 1:8

The above quote is from an excellent teaching series by Tim Keller on "Preaching Christ to a Postmodern World."

leaving

2009-04-21T14:25:00.004+02:00

I can't believe we are leaving in a week and a half....

We will miss our friends and spiritual family here in Amsterdam.

Last weekend was a special weekend of saying goodbye and celebrating all God has done over the past seven years. It has been an amazing ride. God has been faithful and we are thankful.

Last month some folks from GCE asked me to write a short article for their quarterly update. Here is what I wrote:

Leaving Amsterdam

Philippians 1:3-8 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart;… God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”

We too thank God every time we remember our brothers and sisters in Amsterdam. Their lives, stories, struggles, and labors in the Lord fill our hearts and prayers. Their partnership in the gospel has been a great joy.

We have been blessed to see a church start in the heart of Amsterdam. We have shared in the lives of many from around the world. We have seen people move from death to life through the power of Christ. We have seen the gospel take root, disciples made, leaders develop, and the church mature. We are truly blessed and grateful.

God has much in store for Zolder50, Amsterdam, and the Netherlands. We believe we have only seen the beginning of the great work he is going to do here.

As we leave this special church, we are sad to say goodbye. We will miss our spiritual family. Our confidence is that Jesus who began a good work in Zolder50 will carry it on to completion. Zolder50 is Jesus’ church; it has been from the beginning. He birthed it, he led it, he carried it, he provided for it, he matured it, and he secured it and will continue to do so.

We ask you to keep Zolder50 in your prayers as God continues to unfold his redemptive plans for Europe.

With Gratitude in our Hearts,

Todd and Lindy

cultural movement

2009-04-13T22:14:00.004+02:00

Is there a cultural movement about? Some would say there is. Below is a short video about Generation We - otherwise known as the millennials or Generation Y. You can find more information about Generation We at http://www.gen-we.com/

Generation WE: The Movement Begins...

Also check out Rise of the Cultural Movements - An article about Generation Y's social activism

back

2009-04-11T18:46:00.004+02:00

We just got back from Croatia and Slovenia. We had a great time. Our last family trip in Europe...

who am i

2009-04-02T21:52:00.006+02:00

We fail to act because we don't know who we are.

I am convinced that a key to fulfilling the calling of Christ and to living a flourishing Christ-like life, is to know, and walk, in the new creation Christ redeemed us to be.

Neil Anderson in his book Victory over the Darkness said it like this:
"Being a Christian is not just a matter of getting something; it is a matter of being someone. A Christian is not simply a person who is forgiven and goes to heaven. A Christian, in terms of his or her deepest identity, is a saint, a spiritually born child of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. Being born again transformed you into someone who didn't exist before. What you receive as a Christian isn't the point; it is who you are. It is not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are; it is who you are that determines what you do.

Understanding your identity in Christ is essential for living the Christian life. People cannot consistently behave in ways that are inconsistent with the way they perceive themselves. You don't change yourself by your perception. You change your perception of yourself by believing the truth. If you perceive yourself wrongly, you will live wrongly because what you are believing is not true. If you think you are a no-good bum, you will probably live like a no-good bum. If, however, you see yourself as a child of God who is spiritually alive in Christ, you will begin to live accordingly. Next to a knowledge of God, a knowledge of who you are is by far the most important truth you can possess.

The major strategy of Satan is to distort the character of God and the truth of who we are. He can’t change God and he can’t do anything to change our identity and position in Christ. If, however, he can get us to believe a lie, we will live as though our identity in Christ isn’t true.”

So who am I and who are you in Christ? Here are some clues:

You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)
You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)
You are sent by Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20; John 17:18; 20:21; Acts 1:7)
You are a child of God, born of God (John 1:12)
You are in Christ and he in you (John 14:20)
You are part of the true vine, a channel of Christ's life (John 15:1,5)
You are Christ's friend (John 15:12)
You are chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16)
You are dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11)
You are free from all condemnation (Romans 8:1,2)
You are a son of God; God is spiritually your Father (Romans 8:14,15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6)
You are a joint heir with Christ, sharing His inheritance with Him (Romans 8:17)
You are being transformed into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:49; 2 Cor. 3:18)
You are a temple - a dwelling place - of God. His Spirit and His life dwell in you (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19)
You are a member of Christ's body (1 Cor. 12:27; Ephesians 5:30)
You are equipped by God for the work of ministry (2 Cor. 3:4-6, John 14:26-27)
You are a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)
You are reconciled to God and are a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18,19)
You are Christ's ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20)
You are a saint (1 Cor. 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:1)
You are a God's workmanship - His masterpiece - born anew in Christ to do good works (Ephesians 2:10)
You are a fellow citizen of God's kingdom and a member of his family (Ephesians 2:19)
You are a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven with Christ (Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:20)
You are loved by God (Ephesians 3:17-19)
You are righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24)
You are a child of light and not of darkness (Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5)
You are empowered by God to all things (Philippians 4:13, 2 Timothy 1:7)
You are forgiven of all your sins and have been made alive with Christ (Colossians 2:13-14)
You are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)
You are chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4)
You are a partaker of Christ; you share in His eternal life (Hebrews 3:14; 1 John 5:11,12)
You are one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5)
You are a member of a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9,10)
You are an alien and stranger to the world (1 Peter 2:11)
You are an enemy of the devil (1 Peter 5:8)
You are a participant in the divine nature and able to escape the world's corruption (2 Peter 1:4)
You are born of God, and the evil one - the devil - cannot touch you (1 John 5:18)

If you believed these things about yourself, wouldn't it drastically change the way you live?

the theme of matthew

2009-03-30T19:30:00.001+02:00

In my reading of the New Testament I am attempting to identify the theme of each book. Here is the theme I identified for the book of Matthew:

The Book of Matthew's Theme:

Jesus is the authoritative Son of God holding power and authority over all things (Satan, sickness, demons, sin, religion, nature, and death) who is to be followed and obeyed.

missed one

2009-03-29T09:20:00.002+02:00

I was reading in Matthew this morning and realized I overlooked Jesus' first command! Jesus' first command shows his authority over the most powerful being on earth - Satan.

Matthew 4:9 “And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”

the commands of jesus in matthew

2009-03-28T20:40:00.005+01:00

I recently read the gospel of Matthew. At the end of the gospel I was reminded of the importance of the Great Commission, particularly the aspect of Jesus telling his disciples to make disciples, teaching them to observe (obey) all that he commanded. As I meditated on this I thought I should study Matthew to find out what Jesus commanded his disciples. My intent for the study was to find out Jesus’ commands so that I could do the things he commanded and teach others to do them too.

Below are the commands I discovered. These commands are out of context. To better understand them you should read them in their context. I divided the commands into two groups, commands directed at the disciples in general and commands directed to specific individuals in specific circumstances. In total I found 78 general commands and 16 specific commands. There may be more than this depending how you break them down. You will notice that some of the general commands are specific to Jesus ministry among the Jews (the disciples were sent only to Israel) and also the progression of his ministry (the disciples were commanded not to tell people that Jesus was the Christ). These commands changed after Jesus rose from the dead. The Great Commission is Jesus’ final command, in it he tells his disciples to go to the nations (the Gentiles) and to teach people about him. Jesus’ final command trumps his previous commands.

Note: The definition I used for command is “to direct with authority; give orders to.” The translation I used is English Standard Version.

Jesus’ Commands to the general disciple

Matthew 4:17 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:19 “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him."

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Matthew 5:23 “So if you are offering your gift at the alter and there remember that you brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

Matthew 5:25 “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be put in prison.”

Matthew 5:29 “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell."

Matthew 5:30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Matthew 5:34 “But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair with or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.”

Matthew 5:39 “But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, to with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”

Matthew 4:44 “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:2 “when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others.”

Matthew 6:3 “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 6:6 “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Matthew 6:7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:9 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hollowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Matthew 6:16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites…”

Matthew 6:17 “But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in an steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.”

Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not be anxious, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Matthew 7:5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate.”

Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Matthew 9:13 “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:37 “Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Matthew 10:5 “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of Samaritans, but go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 10:7 “And proclaim as you go, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Matthew 10:8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received with out paying; give without pay."

Matthew 10:9 “Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor staff, for the laborer deserves his food.”

Matthew 10:11 “And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.”

Matthew 10:14 “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.”

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Matthew 10:17 “Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.”

Matthew 10:19 “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.”

Matthew 10:23 “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Matthew 10:26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”

Mathew 10:27 “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”

Matthew 10:28 “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 10:31 “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 12:15 “And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known.”

Matthew 14:27 “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Matthew 16:6 “Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Matthew 16:20 “Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.”

Matthew16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Matthew 17:9 “And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

Matthew 18:3 “Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:8 “And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.”

Matthew 18:9 “And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.”

Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

Matthew 18:22 “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”

Matthew 19:14 “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 20:26 “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 22:21 “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment."

Matthew 22:39 “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 23:3 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you – but do not what they do.”

Matthew 23:8 “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Matthew 23:26 “You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”

Matthew 24:20 “Pray that you flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.”

Matthew 24:23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.”

Matthew 24:26 “So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.”

Matthew 24:42 “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Matthew 26:26 “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus’ Commands to a specific individual or being in a specific circumstance

Matthew 8:13 “And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.”

Matthew 8:32 “And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs…”

Matthew 9:6 “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” – he then said to then said to the paralytic – “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home.”

Matthew 9:9 “As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.”

Matthew 9:24 “he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”

Matthew 9:30 “And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.”

Matthew 11:4 “And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see…”

Matthew 12:13 “Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.”

Matthew 14:28 “And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and come to Jesus.”

Matthew 17:27 “However, not to give offense to them, go to the seas and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Matthew 19:17-21 “If you would enter life, keep the commandments… “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”… “Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go sell what you posses and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Matthew 21:1 “then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.”

Matthew 21:19 “And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.”

Matthew 26:18 “He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”

Matthew 28:10 “Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

the watchmen

2009-03-22T12:41:00.006+01:00

Two weeks ago I saw the movie The Watchmen. I left feeling disturbed, violated, and wondering why I subjected myself to three hours of garbage.

I honestly would not recommend seeing this film, but I did come across an insightful review of The Watchmen. The review is helpful in understanding the philosophical premise of the movie.

The review is worth the read, it helped me see that The Watchmen is a story of the prevailing philosophy of our day - nihilism.

quote

2009-03-16T21:32:00.001+01:00

A great quote by Charles Spurgeon:

"I believe the hardest-hearted, the most cross-grained and most unloving Christians in the world are those who have not had much trouble in their life. And those that are the most sympathizing, loving and Christ-like are generally those who have experienced the most afflictions. The worse thing that can happen to any of us is to have our path made too smooth. One of the greatest blessings the Lord ever gave us was a cross."

security in an insecure world

2009-03-12T13:14:00.000+01:00

News of insecurity, instability, and uncertainty are on TV every day. We watch it as if it were surprising and disturbing. Why does it surprise and disturb us?

I was with Indian church planter last week and he said, "If you haven't learned this yet, you should learn it now. Nothing in life is secure. The Bible says even the foundations of the earth will be shaken."

This is reality.

The reality of our world is that it is passing away. The old is going and the new is coming. This should not surprise us. It has been foretold long ago.

Check these scriptures out:

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." 1 Peter 310-13

"Do not love the world or anything in the world.... The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15, 17

"See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken - that is, created things - so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:25-29

There is only one thing that remains secure in this world. It is Christ and his unshakable kingdom. Are you a part of Christ and his coming kingdom? Jesus says:

"I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." John 3:5

Have you been born of God, through the Spirit of God? When we are born of God through Christ, we are no longer part of the world or its perishing nature. To be born of God means we belong to God and are given eternal, unending life. Even though the earth will perish, we will live forever. God and his kingdom is eternal. It is unshakable. When we put our faith in Jesus death for our sins we are placed into God in Christ. Why put your trust in things that will perish? Why not put your trust in he who is eternal. God's Word says:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

"to all those who receive him (Jesus), to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." John 1:12-13

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my (Jesus) word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." 1 Peter 3:18

Will you put your trust in Jesus? Jesus died for your sins so that you can have eternal life. Even if this world crumbles to ruins, your security in Christ will never crumble. When you put your trust in Jesus' death for your sins your are given new life - the resurrected life of God. You are no longer your own, you are his. He purchased you with his death and will be with you forever.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4

I invite you confess your sins to God and open your life to Jesus. He desires to bring you into his eternal family and give you the power to live a God honoring life. You can start your relationship with God today. All you have to do is turn to him in prayer.

"if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

To learn more about the Bible you can start by reading the Book of John.

strength in God

2009-03-09T12:48:00.006+01:00

Saturday night I was feeling a bit anxious about our coming move. My feeling were mixed with sadness about leaving and also concern for what is next. Sunday morning I woke up and began reading the Psalms. The Lord encouraged my heart through the Psalms. Here are the Scriptures I found strength in.

Psalm 25:21 "May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you."

Psalm 27:13-14 "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."

Psalm 28:6-8 "Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one."

Psalm 30:10-12 "Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever."

Psalm 31:14-15 "But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands;"

Psalm 31:23-24 "Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD."

Psalm 33:20-22 "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."

Psalm 73:25-26`"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

cpm follow up

2009-03-07T12:59:00.010+01:00

We had a church planting movements follow up on Monday. It was an inspiring time. Here are a few gleaning from it.

Focus on gospel planting rather than church planting.

We need to be intentional gospel planters.

Bring the church to the people instead of people to the church.

The goal of evangelism is to start churches.

Church is the result of mission. Mission is not the result of church.

Christian leadership is an extension of discipleship.

Obedience based discipleship is meant to be self-correcting, self-sustaining, and self-maintaining.

Leaders give people a jump start – leaders are to lead people to become self-sustaining followers.

If you meet with someone more than a year without the other person multiplying themselves you are creating a dependency.

Our job as leaders needs to be creating hope in people – we need to see the bigger picture for them.

Look into the future to what people will be or should be and train them to be that.

Vision comes from God. What is God’s heart beating for?

If people don’t laugh at your vision then it is not a vision.

Where to you want to be in 5 years? Do only the things that will get you there!

Strategy comes from your focus or goal or aim.

If you have 10 people in a home group, should your aim be to become 20 people and then form two new home groups or should it be to see the 10 become 10 new groups? You strategize based on your goal. What is the goal of your home groups? Is it to multiply to 2 or 10?

Key Factors in establishing a movement
* Prayer – at least 14 hours of prayer a week
* Live with an sense of expectation – God is going to move
* Live with a sense of urgency - the time is short

Characteristics of a Church Planter
* Loves the Lord with all his or her heart, mind, soul, and strength
* Loves all people as himself
* Labors to evangelize the lost, gather the saved, develop the local church, train local leaders, and move on as soon as possible.
* Lives a life of obedience and learning

Stay focused.

Leviticus 26:7-9 and Psalm 91:7

red line of love

2009-02-23T08:58:00.001+01:00

There is a red line of love running through John chapters 13, 14 and 15. It is pretty amazing.

“Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love…. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:1, 14-15)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15

“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” (John 14:21)

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” (John 14:23-24)

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:9-10)

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:12-14)

“This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:17)

What can we conclude? Jesus commands us to love one another as he loved us. How did he love us? By serving us and laying his life down for us. Jesus says that if we love him we will obey his command and love each other as he loved us. True love for God is love for one another. As we love each other we remain in his love. Here are some concluding thoughts from 1 John:

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” (1 John 3:11)

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he command us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.” (1 John 3:23, 24)
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 3:16)

“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (1 John 4:19-21)

the nations

2009-02-19T14:54:00.008+01:00

A perspective on the nations from the Book of Psalms.

Psalm 2

Psalm 10:16
"The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land."

Psalm 22:27-28
"All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations."

Psalm 33:10-12
"The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!"

Psalm 47:7-8
"For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne."

Psalm 66:7
God "who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations—let not the rebellious exalt themselves."

Psalm 67:1-4
"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth."

Psalm 72

Psalm 96:2-3
"Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!"

Psalm 99:1-5
"The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!"

Psalm 103:19
"The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all."

Psalm 110:5-6
"The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth."

Psalm 145:1, 13
"I will exalt you, my God the King: I will praise your name for ever and ever.... Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations."

psalm two

2009-02-19T14:27:00.006+01:00

A sobering word to the rulers, presidents, and authorities of the nations. May its truth and warning be heeded.

Psalm 2

"Why are the nations so angry?
Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
the rulers plot together against the Lord
and against his anointed one.
“Let us break their chains,” they cry,
“and free ourselves from slavery to God.”

But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
The Lord scoffs at them.
Then in anger he rebukes them,
terrifying them with his fierce fury.
For the Lord declares, “I have placed
my chosen King on the throne
in Zion, on my holy mountain.”

The king proclaims the Lord’s decree:
"The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.
Only ask, and I will give you the
nations as your inheritance,
the whole earth as your possession.
You will rule them with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.’”

Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become
angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst
of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all who take refuge in him!"

facebook

2009-02-18T11:05:00.000+01:00

news

2009-02-15T11:06:00.001+01:00

Because we only have CNN as a news channel I have gone an a hunt for alternate news sources. I have found some good ones and some shady one. Below are a list of some of the sites I have found. Some of the news sites have strong biases. I don't adhere to all their biases, still I think they are good alternate sources of news.

Max Keiser: Follow the Money

Natural News

Guerilla News Network

NPR

what's coming

2009-02-01T11:17:00.000+01:00

I was shocked. Really. I mean, in our lifetime... I know I shouldn't have been shocked, it's been foretold, yet is was still stunning.

Yesterday I experienced the beginning of the coming economic system...

...the cashless one.

I went to Marqt, a new supermarket in Amsterdam. I picked up some yummy muesli bread and pomegranate juice and headed to the check out counter. The clerk totaled the items, it came to four Euros and ten cents. I opened my wallet, pulled out a five Euro bill when the clerk said, "I'm sorry, we don't take cash." "What?" I said. "You don't take cash? I've never heard of that." "No" she responded, "we only take pin passes and credit cards."

I couldn't believe it. A supermarket that won't take cash. Now I have heard of not taking checks and not taking credit cards, but not taking cash. Yep, it is true, it happened to me yesterday. It is the beginning of the end of paper currency.

Say goodbye to freedom, a controlling force that has never been seen before is coming upon our world.

hope is in the air

2008-11-05T22:04:00.006+01:00

I congratulate Barack Obama for his victory. He will be held in my prayers for the years to come.

The anticipation of change and hope for the future has got me thinking of times long ago and a message of lasting hope…

In a time of uncertainty, many years ago, there arose a leader. His actions brought peace to the “whole world”.

He was seen as a savior, the bringer of peace and prosperity. He was the fulfillment of the hopes and longings of all humankind. He was Octavian, the soon entitled Caesar Augustus “the revered one”. His fame quickly spread throughout the Roman Empire. In short time statues of the emperor were erected throughout the cities of the empire. He became a legend, a divine manifestation of god, a leader to be admired and worshiped.

“The most divine Caesar… we should consider equal to the Beginning of all things…; for when everything was falling [into disorder] and tending toward dissolution, he restored it once more and gave to the whole world a new aura; Caesar… the common good Fortune of all… The beginning of life and vitality…. All the cities unanimously adopt the birthday of the divine Caesar as the new beginning of the year… Whereas Providence, which has regulated our whole existence… has brought our life to the climax of perfection in giving to us [emperor] Augustus, whom it [Providence] filled with strength for the welfare of men, and who being sent to us and our descendants as Savior, has put an end to war and has set all things in order; and [whereas,] having become [god] manifest (phaneis), Caesar has fulfilled all the hopes of earlier times… in surpassing all the benefactors who preceded him…, and whereas, finally, the birthday of the god [Augustus] has been for the whole world the beginning of good news (euangelion) concerning him [therefore let a new ear being from his birth].” (An inscription from the Provincial Assembly of Asia, dated 9 B.C.E)

The promise of hope was in the air. Prosperity, peace, imperial greatness, and personal security were at hand.

It was at this same time that another hope was born. It was not the hope of an earthly kingdom and rule, but a hope of heavens kingdom and rule. It was not the hope of human dominance and greatness, but a hope of God’s dominance and greatness. It was not a hope of pride and prestige, but a hope of humility and meekness. I was not a hope of worldly wealth and prosperity, but a hope of eternal riches and unending life.

These are the hopes that a humble baby, born in a manger, brought to the world. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” This child became the hope of the world, the Prince of Peace, the true Savior. His hope declared the forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe. His hope showed the way to be human through the reign of truth, love and forgiveness. And his hope promised the restoration of all things. It is this hope Christians wait for and long for. To us, it is the only hope. And while we wait for this hope, we live for it, in expectant anticipation. For the Christian, his citizenship is in heaven and as he/she lives on earth, he/she lives for the purposes of his/her coming king and kingdom.

There is much talk of hope these days… hope in politics, hope in laws, and hope in leaders. But let us not forget, the greatest hope of all was but a mustard seed in an empire of trees. Today, this hope remains. Centuries after Caesar Augustus has been dead and buried, Jesus lives on. His mustard seed of hope has given birth to a movement of hope. He teaches us that hope is in the love of ones neighbor. Hope is in the transformation of the heart through the touch of God. Hope is in the small communities of believers scattered throughout the world witnessing to the love of God through the love of others. Hope is in the adoption of the unwanted. Hope is in the care of an elderly neighbor. Hope is in the compassionate touch of a friend. Hope is in the arms of a mother. Hope is in the mustard seeds of life, the hidden acts of love and service, the child born in a manger.

As we dream of hope, let us dream of love. For it is in the love of God that we have any hope at all.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13