Reflecting on changes

    Change has become a buzz word these days.  We have political candidates trumpeting the need for change and the ability to make changes.  Such is the nature of politics.  However, change is not just about who is in charge of the government and the authorities we submit to. Change is something we either desire or avoid, for either selfish or righteous reasons.  Sometimes change is thrust upon us.  Like it or not, wanted or not we are all impacted by change.

    The church I am a member of is undergoing some changes.  We mourn the loss of Steve Kohen who died from a sudden heart attack. He is missed, yet in a better place.  As a church we wish this change hadn’t happened, but trust God that He will work through this, and will provide for his widow and family. 

    Our church, New Joy Church,  is facing another change that was unexpected. Our pastor, Rich Hubert, has been called to pastor a church in Mexico. He is following where God is leading.  He saw our church through a difficult time of needed healing and the church is better off then when he came by leaps and bounds.  He will be missed, and there is anxiety and tension of what is next.

    There are other types of changes.  There are changes that are planned, and joyful when they occur. These include the birth of a child, a job promotion, a new house,  healing from past wounds, and other good things.  But any change is difficult, brings anxiety, and really doesn’t come easily.

     Sometimes we know changes is coming and have to endure suffering while waiting for the change. Anyone who has a loved one going through a prolonged death experiences this grief.  I  currently have a dear friend who is waiting for his mother to die.  Each day for them is precious, but difficult.  The prolonged change is hard but the process does bring refinement and internal change.

    Sometime we know we need a change, but have a hard time taking the steps to make it.  I know I have been working for an employer and know it is time to leave, but do nothing to leave, to bring it about.  Ultimately I ended up losing those jobs and change was forced upon me.  We all can let fear easily serve as  a barrier to working toward any change, whether it be inter-personally, vocationally, educational, of relational.  Yet, sometimes we just need to make the change.

    Sometimes we are convinced there is a need for change, when change is not needed.  We can let ourselves be deceived into making unnecessary changes.  There are far to many marriages that end when they should not be.  These kind of changes result often from self-deception and thinking that things will be different if only there was change.  It is the “grass is greener” syndrome. 

    As a Christian working on daily surrender to the King of Kings, I want to be walking in the changes the God puts before me.  I want him to change me to be more like Jesus. There are somethings that are hard to submit over, changes asked that are difficult to make.  I can get in the way of letting God change me.  Yet, even in my resistance God works in me toward change. He constantly calls me to repent of my seeking after self, and the changes I want and surrender to Him. 

    So think about the changes you face in life.  Are you avoiding change? Are you selfishly seeking change? Are you holding on to things the need to change?  Are you dealing with the grief of expected change?  Are you dealing with the pain of unexpected loss?  It ultimately is how we react that makes the difference.  Do we react to change by resistance, through anger, through fear, or any other barriers or do we surrender to the King of Kings and turn all our reactions over to Him. Do we step out in faith when God points to a needed change in your path, or an unexpected turn happens.  Take a moment and pray about the changes in your life and ask God to give you wisdom and surrender to Him, and walk in the path that gets set before you.

Reaction to Mac Hammond’s defense

        In a previous post the situation with the IRS and Pastor Mac Hammond of Living Word Christian Center was discussed.  Since then Pastor Mac Hammond has issued a defense of what is going on with the IRS and the allegations.  Ultimately, through due process, they will be able to have their say and defend themselves against any allegations brought for by the investigation.

     In his defense, Pastor Hammond argues that the audit was only opened for political reasons.  He states an IRS official illegally opened the audit and did so at the behest of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington based on the perceived Michelle Bachmann endorsement.  This article isn’t really getting into delving into those facts.  It is worth pointing out again that Pastor Mac Hammond did state he would “almost welcome an IRS audit.” 

     The main concern is that a good portion of Pastor Mac Hammond’s defense is really a defense of the prosperity gospel.  He points to a national conspiracy to attack ministries involve in what he states has come to be called the “prosperity gospel.”  He even states “the gospel-the good news that God is good and our covenant of blessing will provide increase in every area of our life.”  However, that is NOT the Gospel.  The Gospel is John 3:16 (KJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth him shall have eternal life.

     Pastor Mac Hammond goes on to suggest that what is happening is politically motivated because the “enemies of the gospel” are afraid of wealthy Christians and the influence that they may weild.  He states that to limit the influence of the church, the wealth needs to be limited, and that is done by decreasing the willingness to donate.  Pastor Mac Hammond clearly delineates that “clergy” can and should be wealthy and that the media and enemies of the gospel want to keep them poor, and as such keep the church poor.  Pastor Mac goes on to state that God can do anything and that the only limits on what God can and will do is our faith.  In essence, it reads to me that our faith becomes the means by which to get God to do what we want, which usually is increasing our personal kingdoms such as by wealth. 

   The question again comes down to what Kingdom is really being built.  Do we give our all.  Pastor Mac Hammond in is defense graciously offered to sell all and give it to the church. Great, but until that happens it is just words that can make one look good.  Actions speak louder then words. Now Pastor Mac Hammond indicates he donates a large sum to the church which he indicates is how a person avoids the temptations of lukewarmness and decreased God-depenency.   The generosity is good, and praise God for that. Only God and Pastor Mac Hammond know what is at the core of the giving.  Only God and Pastor Mac Hammond truely know what kingdom he is really serving.  However, the defense Pastor Mac Hammond gives leaves me troubled, regardless of the facts. The defense is all about emphasizing prosperity and the church needs to be prosperous to influence society.

    The church is called to be salt and light to a community. But the influence of salt and light come not from the influence of wealth or from involvement in the political realm.  The influence of the church is in changing hearts and minds and drawing people into surrender to Yeshua.  It is about turning from self. There is a reason Jesus stated that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God, yet with God all things are possible. 

The Beijing Olympics: Reflecting on stories and pursuit of excellence

A previous post on this blog talked about general Olympic principles and how it is a way the world looks toward false peace through ultimately globalization with a focus on competitive engagement. In this post, it is worth reveiwing some of the key stories and how it can be applied to life and in particular life in the Kingdom of God. 

    The starting point has to be on the record setting, incredible performances of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and Yelena Isinbayeva show that some people have just been blessed with talent. They have been gifted and created with skills that allow them to excel.  The Jamacian track team which takes home 11 medals also shows the importance of the natural giftings that make an athlete. However, if they just stopped at their talents, they would not be breaking records or winning gold medals. They have to practice and work and build on what they have been given. It is so easy to sit back and rely on natural strengths and ignore the elements it takes to pursue excellence. The same in life and in the Kingdom of God. We all may have certain giftings, certain things that come easy, or certain gifts given by God. We need to be spending time not just doing what comes easy but building and honing our skills and talents so that we can serve God to our best. 

      There were a few stories that speak of overcoming emotional distractions and staying steady in the midst of distress to reach excellence and the best.  The USA men’s volleyball team coached by Hugh McCutcheon demonstrate this.  Hugh suffered the murder of his father-in-law and the serious injury of his mother-in-law. Yet, he was able to keep his team focused and able to overcome the favored nations and win the Gold.   Another story is of German weight lifter Matthias Steiner, who won a gold medal after his wife died in an automobile accident last year.  Perhaps he was able to simply filter his grief into his goal and it helped him achiece it, but he displayed the ability to overcome great grief and keep focused on the goal.  There are many things in life that can distract us. Many losses, pains, and sufferings can lead us to take the eyes off the prize. Focusing on these things of life can lead to unfruitfullness, it can lead to failure, it can lead to sinking when we were walking on water.  As Christians, the focus needs to be on Yeshua.  Everything else is secondary and can be a distraction.

    In contrast is the story of Angel Matos, the cuban taekwondo who kicked a referree in the face after being disqualified for taking too much time for an injury.  He lost his cool and in turn lost the ability to compete in the future.  We all can do the same thing. We have things fail to go our way and we can explode and lose control.  This is especially true when the goal and dream becomes everything and an idol unto itself. We each need to check and see whether what we are pursuing has taken precedent over serving the Kingdom of God.  We also need to learn to take disappointments and failed expectations and trust God is at work anyway. It is very common when we have failed expectations or even God doesn’t work or intervene how we expect that we can get angry at self and angry at God and act out in ways that dishonor ourself and the Kingdom of God.

The Canadian 8 main row crew won a gold medal and displayed perseverance.  In the last summer olympics they disappointed in their performance and this time around displayed the perseverance needed to achieve the gold medal and redeem from past faltering.  The US men’s basketball team is similar in that they learned from past mistakes and put together a team that worked cohesively rather then simply depending on talent.  These teams showed the ability to learn from the past and make adjustments and do things differently.  Each of us need to take the same approach in our lives. We need to learn from our mistakes and failings. Often times our mistakes and failures end up repeated because we don’t learn from our past mistakes or when face difficulties we give up.  Standing firm and enduring means that no matter what obstacle, even our own failings, we endure, learn and grow. The very nature of the Grace of God allows for this growth process.  Our mistakes, sins and selfishness are dealt with at the Cross.

     Of course there were controversay in the Beijing Olympics as well. The primary controversay was that of Chinese Gymnast He Kexin, who is rumored to be younger then the qualifying age to compete.  Apparently in China, it has been fairly easy to switch dates of birth, resulting in the ability to call this event into question.  There also were two athletes who were found to take shortcuts and were disqualified from their medals: Ara Abrahamian, the bronze medal winning Greco-Roman wrestler from Sweden, and Jong Su Kim, the North Korean shooter who won bronze and silver.  It is tempting to take shortcuts to get what we want or expect. Sometimes you get what you want, and don’t get caught. Sometimes you do. Regardless, there is no honor in winning with shortcuts.  If we take shortcuts in our lives in pursuit of what God puts before us, God is not honored, and ultimately attention gets taken away from the Gospel and onto the shortcut.

     There were of course many other stories, most of them involving loss and defeat.  Some people were there just for the honor of competing in the Olympics with full knowledge of their own limitations.  We need to be aware of our limitations as well. Sometimes we are to follow a path and purse what God puts before us without any grand result. Just simple service, and there is great honor in simple services, just as there is great honor for athletes just competing in the Olympics.

     In summary, the Bible clearly uses the analagoy of altheltics and running the race in order pursue excellence in the Kingdom of God.  We need to focus and not let things of the world distract or disqualify. We need to stay grounded in truth. There is no shortcuts. We each need to be dedicated and regardless use our gifts and talents to the best of our ability, as if we were the Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt in the Kingdom of God all to bring glory to Yeshua.  So with those thoughts in mind take some time to reflect on these four bible verses.

Galatians 2:2 (NIV) I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 

 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  

 Galatians 5:7 (NIV) You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? 

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 

Guest Commentary: Titus 1- What it teaches us about false shepherds

The following was sent to me by my brother Robert Blake:

Titus is written by Paul to a young pastor who is probably over seeing a new church.
Paul begins by laying out a structure of elders to watch over the church. He gives a clear list of characteristics these men are to have. They are to protect the church, keeping it in line with the truth.
What seems to have hit me with some interest is the second half of chapter one. Paul sets up the structure out of concern for the church, that it maintain its integrity to the truth. He goes on to explain there are false shepherds and lists their characteristics.
These characteristics will all be framed within context of truth, which is mentioned later in the chapter. The characteristics starting at vs. 10 are:

Rebellious- Indicates a person who knows the truth but decides to do the opposite. A question is if we are all rebellious as Paul indicates in other writings, how are these people different? I would say they do not have the Romans 7 struggle between right and wrong actions. They choose to go after wrong actions.

Empty Talkers- It is a ripe term, hypocritical nature is what it is pointing to. Telling people to do one thing, and they do the other. Yes, it is related to the first characteristic. But, I wonder if it is more than that? We are warned in scripture that people in the end times will want their ears tickled, words that will please over words of truth. That is also at the heart of the empty talker, providing words to keep people happy over keeping people on the path of truth.

Deceivers- It tells us that the false teachers are doing more than just wrongly teaching, they are purposefully teaching something and it is wrong. It means they know the truth but choose to teach the opposite. Related to the previous characteristic, keeping the flock happy means they choose a lie over truth, ultimately deception.

Of Circumcision- It means they are participate and are active in the church community, the body of believers. It is why Paul wants elders to protect the church.

Wrongly motivated- They are in it for their own benefit and gain, contrast with the elders who are not self-willed and genuinely care for others. They simply have something to gain and will do what it takes to get it.

Teach Traditions and Commands- Part of their strategy is to use things that appear to be good but are not the truth. The root of what they teach is earth bound appearance instead of genuine faith. Simply put, they will teach things that pull a person away from total reliance upon Jesus for salvation and upon our own actions to obtain it. It is a teaching that counts on our own ability to save ourselves through what we do or do not do. Goes on to say that these people are unbelieving. They do not trust in Christ. Stay away from any teacher who does not point people to Jesus and nothing else for salvation.

No Truth- It is the central component in all of the characteristics, but Paul mentions it specifically. They are unbelieving in the truth and turn away from it. Truth is not their guide.

It is a long list, but a clear litmus test for believers. We are to scrutinize teachers with both the list of positive characteristics and the warnings Paul identifies as signs of a false teacher. When they are applied,  things will be clear. Their are many other items in scripture that warn us about false teachers, this is just one passage that is full to the brim in practical application. Study it and apply it. Follow the recommendations by Paul, to rebuke and silence those who stray from the truth.
We live in a pluralistic age, we are taught to accept all things. Paul tells us to do otherwise, confront it for the benefit of the church so that no one is harmed.

The Olympics: Some reflections regarding the Beijing Games.

The Olympic game are and remain a worldwide spectacle.  Countries from around the World compete, be it big or small.  Now the Olympics are said to stand for ideals of the world coming together in peace and engaging in competition and maintaining ethics in the competition. It encourages people to dream dreams and pursue their best.  It promotes coming together globally and forgetting differences.  The peace and globalization promoted and encouraged by The Olympics if fleeting.

     The diffences in people and countries and politics exist regardless of meeting together to engage in sporting competition.  The motto of the Beijing games was “One World, One Dream” and it expresses the desire for all of Humanity to unite as one.  Yet, meeting together for competitive engagement certainly doesn’t bring global unity, rather it exacerbates the differences.  It focuses on proving superiority in competition.  The proving of superiority results in people often taking shortcuts all to get a Gold medal. 

    The fact is, while the world does continue to shrink with technology and the internet, the start differences in countries becomes more stark.  You have the differences in the big and small and the rich and poor as well as the differences in religious and political divides.  Meeting for competitive engagement does nothing to shrink any of those divides. It does shed light on to differences in cultures as host locations change, but the reality is the Olympic games really highlight the differences.

     The fact is each person, regardless of culture, is selfish. We want the best for ourselves. Now, while there is value in pursuing the best in each individual, it globally manifests in the global conflicts that arise.  So, yes the world gets together to engage in sport every two years. In the competition politics rear, controversy happens, and ultimately at one point or another someone successfully or unsuccessfully engages in short cuts to success.  It is after all within our nature to be selfish and even to take shortcuts in an attempt to pursue a goal or dream.  

     Nothing about the Olypmic games or ideals can breach that element of human nature. And as much as it looks like we all can come together in one accord and be a global community, that fact is selfish differences will remain until Armegeddon.  The only true globalization will occur upon the return of Yeshua, the Messiah, the King of Kings.  There will be another who comes and claims to unite all and will even reach others in their language and suggest coming together as one, for a common good, but it will be false and will appeal to the base elements of our nature. 

     The ony true one world, one dream is that with people submitted to Yeshua, and under submission to the King of Kings, anything else will falter and is false.  True peace comes from surrender to Yeshua, all else falters.

Mac Hammond: Pride, Prosperity and the Church

Pastor Mac Hammond of Living Word Christian Center has found himself in a lot of trouble. He recently made the news (http://www.startribune.com/local/north/27251534.html?page=4&c=y) by being audited by the IRS.  Apparently the impetus for the audit is rooted in Mac Hammond publicly endorsing current Representative, Michelle Bachman, from his pulpit.  The endorsement resulted in those who champion separation of church and state to want the IRS involved and for the church to be stripped of their tax exempt status. According to the Star Tribune article, Mac Hammond in February 2007, apparently in response to such challenges, stated he would “almost welcome an IRS audit.”

            The response to me comes off as a challenge from pride, and like many challenges from pride, it results in being met full force.  The IRS is now auditing Mac Hammond and Living Word Christian Center but not because of direct fall out from giving Michelle Bachman time from the pulpit but rather because of improprieties seen by the IRS in how the church handled loans to Mac Hammond as well as how they managed his purchase and subsequent leasing to the church of a private jet. 

            Whether or not any actual malfeasance took place has yet to be determined but regardless of whether or not any malfeasance occurred, the very need for the investigation is troubling.  We are called to avoid all appearance of evil. So even if there is no violation of IRS code or breaking of the law, the very fact that there is an appearance of wrong doing should be troubling.

            At the heart of the matter really comes down to the concept preached of the “prosperity” gospel where you are given “increase” based on giving. Now while it is true that God blesses those who give generously, the tone of the “prosperity” gospel is that of increase in your personal kingdom. It becomes as you give you will gain increase.  Ultimately, the increase we should care about is increase in the Kingdom of God.

            Unfortunately, when scandal of any sort hits a church or a congregation, all of what they have done is called into question.  The truth when mixed with error brings confusion and damages people.  It is even more troubling when leadership engages in behavior that at a minimum has the look of impropriety.

            We all need to be careful.  Each of us easily can go down the road of building our own kingdoms. Each of us can get caught in the wanting or more.  Each of us can get caught in what feels good or right at the moment.  Temptations abound. However, the essence of “prosperity” teaching can encourage the feeding of our lusts and pride. 

            When we recognize the feeding of our lusts and pride we need to repent and turn from those paths.  I pray that in this, Mac Hammond and those in position at Living Word Christian Center be brought into awareness of a need to repent of chasing after lust and pride. Now, that is not to say that the church and Mac Hammond haven’t benefited others for the Kingdom of God but in looking at these events the question has to be which kingdom was being served in greater measure.

           

Lakeland Aftermath: An analysis of observed responses:

Well, the furor over what has been called the Lakeland outpouring has died down as Mr. Bentley has stop ministering and the martial issues are coming to light.  This article will not be focused on any of the things recently exposed but rather how people have reacted to these events. In analyzing the reactions, the analysis perspective comes from weighing the evidence of Lakeland and Mr. Bentley and finding it to be a great deception where by many were exposed and invited works of the enemy.  In terms of identifying the varied categories of observed responses, there may be labels used that may seem harsh but are meant to be descriptive and not meant insult anyone. If you see yourself in any of these labels, please pray and seek God and ask God to show you the truth and expose any lies or areas you need to change. We all need to examine ourselves daily, moment by moment.  The starting point of the analysis will be the point where all accept the phenomena presented at Lakeland and else where as being from God and move along a continuum.

 

The Ravenous:  The people who respond in this manner are seeking after the experience.  They are seeking to fill their lusts for more power, more experience.  Many of these people view themselves as seeking more so they can serve God better, but ultimately it comes down to seeking to fill the lust of flesh, lust of eyes, and pride of life.  They rally to the cries of “Come get some” and “More, more, more.”

 

The Desperate:  These are the people who have legitimate hurts and pain either physically or emotionally and find themselves drawn to somewhere where they are told someone can help them.  They are desperate to hear, see, or get a touch from God.  Some of these people may feel God has abandoned them in whatever form of suffering they endure.  These people are focused on what they lack and look to this special place where one of special anointing may give them an answer or touch that fills the lack.

 

The Wounded Servant: These are people wounded and injured by others related to the deception but stay where they are and reach out to others in surrender to God.  These people are isolated, wounded, and have little support. They would have difficulty being aware of any deceptive teaching they may latch onto in their service to God.  

 

 

The Naïve: These are the people who just simply take people at their word. If someone says something is of God and there are experiences to support the claim, they accept what is happening at face value. They follow where they are lead. They do not test, examine, or question. 

 

The Special: These are the people who report having a special relationship with God. They rely on mystical or esoteric experiences. They have their understanding and anyone bringing any questions to the contrary obviously just don’t “get it.” 

 

The Defensive: These are people that have both accepted events and happenings without question but also actively seek to defend. These are people who consistently utter threats such as “touch not God’s annointed” and “don’t blaspheme the Holy Spirit.” They find ways to spin every evidence in order to engage in what they consider proper defense. They see any confrontation or criticism as an attack to be defended.

 

The  Spinners: Similar to defenders. Basically they engage in rhetoric and find ways to spin the meaning of what is said and find ways to make excuses for wrong teaching or behaviors.  Sometimes the spinners may be sincere in their understanding, but often may just be practicing rhetoric.

 

The Connected: These are people who claim that based on personal knowledge of people involved and their own personal experiences with similar phenomena that they know God had to be working regardless of any evidence to the contrary. 

 

The Seekers: These are people simply seeking God and the truth in the instance. God can and will meet them because those that seek God will find him.  A difficulty exists though in that those that seek and find God in the midst of deception can attribute the deception for the reason they met God. They also may view criticism of the circumstances where they found God as seeking to invalidate what they experienced.

 

The Pushers:  These are people who have a theological investment in what they see happening. These are similar people to the The Connected.  These people value the theology and doctrine promoting the deception and have difficulty accepting any opposing view and fill look for ways to dismiss any presented evidence.

 

The Users: These are people behind the scenes, folks that stand to gain from the event.  What they care about is how the event effects them and how they can use it to improve their own standing and/or agenda.

 

The Ignorant: The are the people that just simply are unaware of what is happening. It doesn’t cross their sphere or circle of life and don’t know what is going on. 

 

The Fence Sitters:  These are people who simply don’t know one way or another whether there is truth. They see good and bad and cannot be sure one way or another. They hear both sides and feel caught in the middle.

 

The Passive:  These are people who know what is going on, know of possible dangers, but express belief that if it is not of God it will die off. These people also may have perspective that what is going on isn’t impacting their life directly so it isn’t really important. 

 

The Betrayed: These are people who used to believe what is being pushed by the deception, recognize it and stand strongly against it. Often they will stand against it in their own strength.  This category of response is similar to how you see ex-smokers interact around smokers.

 

The Obsessed: These are people who don’t accept what is going on but cannot stop reading information on what is happening. May even watch multiple hours of what is happened all to spot ever last bit of error.  Documenting and reading and viewing the event and deception becomes their sole focus.

 

 

The Paranoid: These are people who initially recognize deception and warn others but they begin seeing deception everywhere.  Rather then doing in actual discerning of what is true and what God is doing in people’s lives, they see deception even where there is no deception.

 

 

The Sidelined: These would be the people who recognized and discerned truth, warned people they cared about and left it at that. They didn’t speak out because of a lack of trust in their own discernment or listening to other voices telling them they could be wrong.  They protected their own interests but did nothing to expand their concerns to the church as a whole, including intercessory prayer.  

 

 

The Fighters:  These are people who are angry. They see the church being hurt and sheep being led to slaughter. They see it as their duty to fight for the sheep.  Often times they will use rhetoric, manipulation, satire, and other weapons of the flesh in the name of fighting for the truth.

 

The Self-Righteous: These are people who think they are better then others. They think they understand what is going on completely and will mock others for not understanding, even if their perspective is extreme.  These people think they are better then anyone else, and other would be if that just understood and “got it.”

 

The Concerned: These are people who see or discern the deceptions and express concern. They may actively engage others warning them of the errors but really are concerned about the people involved and work to reach out to any that may listen. They also spend time in prayer but their main response is to reach out to others, sometimes with direct confrontation. These people are truth tellers.

 

The Intercessors: These are people led to pray for the truth, for the sheep being led to slaughter, for God to work His will in the midst.  They seek to do and follow as God leads but primarily are engaged in prayer.

 

The Faithful: Those that hear the deception, examine the truth,  and seek to walk in love. They avoid confronting or fighting  in the flesh and walk in step with God’s leading.  They surrender to God in the matter and follow as God leads.

 

Now unfortunately, we all probably have reactions that are not helpful.  We all would serve best by being faithful and following as God directs, yet we can easily falter and land in other responses that are more self-directed. There of course can be mutliple categories of response not mentioned in this article.  We each can actually respond in a multitude of categories or shift from one area of response to another.  One minute being faithful, the next being a fighter, the next being self-righteous.  The step to being truly faithful is surrender to the King of Kings. We need to constantly examine ourselves and find the ways we are being self-directed and reacting out of ourselves in the name of the Kingdom of God.

Life reflections: On memories

 This weekend was a reflective one. The reflecting occured initially while on a boat with my Dad on Lake Minnetonka.  During the time places of memory were passed by. One was the property that once held my Grandparent’s home. They really were blessed to live of the lake, because they couldn’t do so today. Today all the houses are big. Some are moderate sized, like the house where my early childhood was spent.  There are good and bad memories of both. 

     Also went by the city of Excelsior, Minnesota  where there used to be an amusement part in the early 1970’s.  I used to pass out tracks, invite people to a smelt fry, and other ways of outreach.  There was an outreach house there, rented by the Church and overseen by a man by the name of George Gospel, I remember we called him brother George.  I don’t recall many details, but the memories I have are good.

    In thinking about memories, it is interesting to think how a child who had no fear in approaching others, who approached others without second thought progressed to the man I am today.  Perhaps coming to Jesus like a little child is more then just simple faith, but also a fearlessness, and unfettered approach. 

     Thing is as we go on life there are wounds created. I thought of some past wounds as well. Wounds from my family, wounds from other children as I grew up.  We all have wounds.  The wounds I thought about I thought had been healed, but perhaps still are parts open.  Dealing with past wounds is never easy. It is hard to let go and forgive.  However, I have seen the ravage holding on to wounds and anger and bitterness do to a person.  Holding on to wounds can lead to bitterness and rage, to sitting by passively, to not stepping out and doing all.  Sometimes fresh wounds open up parts of old wounds that hadn’t fully healed.  Whatever is open, if we hold on to it damage is done psychologically and spiritually. It also impacts our relationships and ability to relate.

    Here is a good thing though, as long as we surrender to God, and move and act as He does, he will be faithful to heal those wounds. It is often neither fast or pretty, but God heals.  God even moves in our lives to move us toward healing, even when we are far away. The dark points of my life, God was always there calling me back.  An old paster used to say, “God sends his sheepdogs after you when you stray off the path.”  I find this to be true.  Here is the amazing thing about God.  God being beyond time knows all aspects of our lives.  He knows all of the past, present, and future. He is not bound by the limits of time.  And he meets with us in the moment and while meeting with us in this moment, he meets with us at all moments. 

     Now I don’t have clear scripture to back this up, I do know that God is I AM, at all tenses. Somewhere I read that YWHW in Hebrew contains a conglomeration of all tenses of I AM in Hebrew.  I also know God created time.  There are some that believe that God is not really omniscient, omnipresent, or any of the other omnis. I find that it is very possible for God to be some because He transcends our understanding.  So in my memories, good and bad, the verse that stands to mind right now is: Romans 8:28 (NIV): And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

    So take some time, reflect on your memories good or bad. Ask God to show you what he wants you to know or steps he wants you to take regarding your memories.  Reflect on any lessons learned from the past, examine how it impacts you today and even how it impacts your thoughts about the future.  Above all, submit all of time to Him.  The past, the present, the future. Good memories, bad memories, and even lost memories are best laid at His throne. A step to true peace is found in this, surrendering all of our time on this earth to Him.

Tragic deaths: Todd Bachman, Bernie Mac. Reminders life is but a vapor.

      Well, I went to my local newspaper today and learn that Bernie Mac died of pnuemonia complications.  I also learn that Todd Bachman, CEO of Minnesota based Bachmans greenhouse, and his wife Barbara were stabbed with Todd dead and his wife critically ill. 

      My previous blog post celebrated the depths God goes to reach out to others, bringing a man back from death so that he may turn to Jesus.  Here we have a reminder that life is but a vapor. I don’t know the true spiritual state of either man.  I read a report that Todd Bachman was a Godly man.  I hope and pray that both men did in fact know Yeshua as Messiah.  And yes, while God sometimes choose to work in the miraculous, other times the tragic happens. I pray that God uses these events to draw others unto Him.  I also take it again as a reminder that we all need to treat everyday as it is our last.  Sometimes death is slow, sometimes death is quick. But death comes for all.  I encourage all who read this to stop, take thought, reflect and if you have not yet accepted the gift of Yeshua taking on the consequences of your own self-seeking and surrender to the Kingdom of God to do so.

Verified Resurection: Cardiologist prays and dead man resurrects!

Just came across this today. Some of you may already be aware of this story. It shows the amazing love of God and the depths He will go to draw others unto Himself.