In February, I listened to Dan Jessup from Young Life, ask this question while talking to a lot youth workers in Colorado Springs,
"Can you know Jesus, but not really know Jesus?"
What do you think?
I believe the answer is yes.
I have believed this for years. I believe that there are a lot of people who know about Jesus, but don't really have a relationship with Jesus. I believe that this is a huge problem in many churches in America today, but that's another post for another day.
Dan went on talk about how this happened with Jesus' twelve closest followers on Earth. One of them named Philip asked this of Jesus in John 14:8, "...Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."
To paraphrase Jesus' reply, He says, "Seriously Philip? Don't you know after all this time with Me, that if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father? Don't you know by now the Father and I are one?"
How is it possible that after walking around with Jesus for three years, that Philip, and most likely some of the other disciples, didn't know Jesus was God? I mean Philip would have watched countless miracles, and heard Jesus talk about this numerous times. How is this possible? How is it possible today? I mean we have the Bible and history to learn from?
It's possible, because we get caught up in doing things for Jesus and following rules, and the relationship with Jesus gets lost. I call it the Pharisee syndrome. The Pharisees were so caught up in being religious and holy, and following all the rules of the OT, that they forgot that God wanted a relationship with them.
We are usually quick to judge the Pharisees, point fingers at them, and say things like, Jesus was proving to you that He was God and you ignored it, denied it, and then you killed Him, dumb Pharisees. I know I have been guilty of this.
Dan Jessup said this and it rocked my world, "Read the New Testament like you are a Pharisee."
He said that reading the NT this way will make it come more alive, it will be more convicting, and it will create humility in your life that you never had before.
My first thought, was wow! The way Jesus talked about the Pharisees, I don't want Him to feel that way about me. But I started to think about it, I have been thinking about it, and Dan is right. Some of the passages I have read many times have been coming to life in a different way for me.
I think that if a lot of us are honest, there are times when we are a lot like the Pharisees. There are times when we get so caught up with things in life that we forget about our relationship with God, we deny it, ignore it, and we try to do things on our own.
Sure we may not be hung up on the over 600 laws of the OT, because many are not relevant today. But I will tell you this, if your life is anything like mine, life is so busy that Jesus is competing with a lot of stuff for some of your time. I believe that this is how slowly, over time, people know a lot about Jesus, but don't really know Jesus.
Dan went on to say that he believes that many people lack joy in their relationship with Christ and this contributes to people not really knowing Jesus. He said that gratefulness and generosity come from joy in Christ. When we are grateful, we don't whine, and we become more generous. Gratefulness and generosity create contentment, and the Bible teaches us to be content.
People in America do not know how to be content. I believe this was part of the Pharisees' problem as well. They could never be content with how well they were doing following the rules.
The solution to this problem of lack of contentment is that we need Jesus. We need Jesus to rule over every area of our lives. We need Jesus to completely invade every area of our lives. Only then can we know true joy, become grateful and generous people, content in our lives, and our relationship with Jesus.
How about you? Where is your contentment level? Do you need more stuff, more time, more something?
I have been working to change some priorities in my life, because I want to be filled with the joy of Christ. I want to be more generous. I want to be grateful for all that God has given me, and recognize all the blessings in my life. I want the true contentment that only Jesus can give me. Maybe you will join me on this journey?
If you took the time to read this blog, thanks! Please pray for me, and I pray that you will seek God, and allow Jesus to rule over all areas of your life, and that you will find joy and contentment in Him.
Blessings.
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Oh The Depravity...
So I am getting up on my soap box for this post, and speaking to fellow Christians who say silly things like this,
"Our State just made it legal to carry a tiny amount of Marijuana, our world is getting so depraved!"
or
"There are people who want to let gay people get married, our world is getting so depraved!"
or countless other similar ignorant statements.
NOTE: Now let me say this right away, I am not interested in debating whether or not legalizing weed or gay marriage is good, bad, moral, or anything else. If you want to debate these things with someone, that's great, but I WILL NOT ENGAGE WITH YOU!
What I want to address is the ignorance and harm of making a statement like this, because here's the deal, this so called depravity is not new, and it makes you seem hateful.
Please go study some history, and you will find that hundreds and even thousands of years ago there were cultures and societies that were just as, if not more depraved than ours. America or anywhere else.
Let me give you an example, first Century Rome and Roman culture. If you're not sure, that would be around the time Jesus was walking around Earth over in what we now call the "Middle East."
At any rate, here are some things you could see pretty regularly there: drugs, prostitution (male and female and at the temple or what we call church today), sexual slavery, public baths and brothels with orgies going on, rape, murder, stealing, burglaries, extortion, corrupt government leaders, oppression of other people groups, work slavery, extreme racism, women were treated like possessions not people, etc.
You see what I am getting at? First century Rome and Roman culture was extremely perverse, I would be willing to bet even more so than modern day America.
Here is another example, go even further back, thousands of years before Jesus' time on Earth, and read the book of Leviticus in the Bible. There are over 600 rules that God gives the Israelites, His chosen people. These are rules to live by. If you take Leviticus Chapter 18 for example. This chapter contains all kinds of sexual rules, things like don't have sex with your mom, dad, sibling, or an animal.
If people had to be told not to do these things, that means, you know...they were doing them. That's some pretty messed up or depraved stuff.
Even further back in history, do some research on why God flooded the Earth in the time of Noah. You will find that it was because people had become so depraved that they were beyond saving, so God wiped them all out.
Here is my point in all this ranting: since sin entered the world people have been doing things that are considered "immoral" or "depraved," and they always will. Even a casual reading of the Bible or study of history confirms this.
So with all that being said, here is where I take issue with statements like the ones I posted at the beginning of the blog for three major reasons:
1. It's untrue. Depravity has and will always be around until Jesus returns to fix the world.
2. It comes off as hateful to people who are gay, or smoke weed, or whatever other sin they are talking about.
3. We all sin. Most people who say stuff like that use it as way to get out of their obligation to love people the way Jesus does. They act like someone else's sin is somehow worse than theirs, because it's a different sin. Thus, they say, "those people," are going to hell, so I can't be near them. This is what the Pharisees did, and why Jesus was at such odds with them. In the good ole USA, I see this most often directed towards the gay community. Many American Christians are very hateful towards the LGBT community and this HAS TO STOP!
In conclusion, people who don't know Jesus and need Him, don't need Christians telling them that they are causing the depravity of society. The truth of the matter is, that if society is getting more depraved, it's all of our fault. As Christians we should be known by our love, not thought of as hateful. So please, please, please, think before you speak!
Ok I'm getting off my soap box now!
If you took the time to read this blog, thanks. I hope and pray that you doing your best to live in a way that leads people towards the eternal hope, freedom, and love that Jesus provides.
"Our State just made it legal to carry a tiny amount of Marijuana, our world is getting so depraved!"
or
"There are people who want to let gay people get married, our world is getting so depraved!"
or countless other similar ignorant statements.
NOTE: Now let me say this right away, I am not interested in debating whether or not legalizing weed or gay marriage is good, bad, moral, or anything else. If you want to debate these things with someone, that's great, but I WILL NOT ENGAGE WITH YOU!
What I want to address is the ignorance and harm of making a statement like this, because here's the deal, this so called depravity is not new, and it makes you seem hateful.
Please go study some history, and you will find that hundreds and even thousands of years ago there were cultures and societies that were just as, if not more depraved than ours. America or anywhere else.
Let me give you an example, first Century Rome and Roman culture. If you're not sure, that would be around the time Jesus was walking around Earth over in what we now call the "Middle East."
At any rate, here are some things you could see pretty regularly there: drugs, prostitution (male and female and at the temple or what we call church today), sexual slavery, public baths and brothels with orgies going on, rape, murder, stealing, burglaries, extortion, corrupt government leaders, oppression of other people groups, work slavery, extreme racism, women were treated like possessions not people, etc.
You see what I am getting at? First century Rome and Roman culture was extremely perverse, I would be willing to bet even more so than modern day America.
Here is another example, go even further back, thousands of years before Jesus' time on Earth, and read the book of Leviticus in the Bible. There are over 600 rules that God gives the Israelites, His chosen people. These are rules to live by. If you take Leviticus Chapter 18 for example. This chapter contains all kinds of sexual rules, things like don't have sex with your mom, dad, sibling, or an animal.
If people had to be told not to do these things, that means, you know...they were doing them. That's some pretty messed up or depraved stuff.
Even further back in history, do some research on why God flooded the Earth in the time of Noah. You will find that it was because people had become so depraved that they were beyond saving, so God wiped them all out.
Here is my point in all this ranting: since sin entered the world people have been doing things that are considered "immoral" or "depraved," and they always will. Even a casual reading of the Bible or study of history confirms this.
So with all that being said, here is where I take issue with statements like the ones I posted at the beginning of the blog for three major reasons:
1. It's untrue. Depravity has and will always be around until Jesus returns to fix the world.
2. It comes off as hateful to people who are gay, or smoke weed, or whatever other sin they are talking about.
3. We all sin. Most people who say stuff like that use it as way to get out of their obligation to love people the way Jesus does. They act like someone else's sin is somehow worse than theirs, because it's a different sin. Thus, they say, "those people," are going to hell, so I can't be near them. This is what the Pharisees did, and why Jesus was at such odds with them. In the good ole USA, I see this most often directed towards the gay community. Many American Christians are very hateful towards the LGBT community and this HAS TO STOP!
In conclusion, people who don't know Jesus and need Him, don't need Christians telling them that they are causing the depravity of society. The truth of the matter is, that if society is getting more depraved, it's all of our fault. As Christians we should be known by our love, not thought of as hateful. So please, please, please, think before you speak!
Ok I'm getting off my soap box now!
If you took the time to read this blog, thanks. I hope and pray that you doing your best to live in a way that leads people towards the eternal hope, freedom, and love that Jesus provides.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Complement Not Complete
Found this draft I never posted. I wrote it May 2, 2011, but it still seems worth posting so here it is:
A while ago the Pastor at my church did a sermon series on relationships. I just happened to hear something today that reminded me of something he said that has stuck with me, “God designed men & women to complement each other, not complete each other.”
I really like that statement. It reminds me that our identity, value, self-worth, etc. must come first from knowing that we are a child created in the image of God. This is the only way we can feel complete. If we don’t start there, then we set ourselves up for hardship.
Inevitably, the people we love will let us down, disappoint us, and even hurt us. If we are honest, we will do the same to those we love. I know I have. I have hurt those closest to me, because of my own selfishness. Getting past this is not easy, because it’s unnatural for us to think of others first. It’s hard for us to rely only on God, and it’s hard not to seek fulfillment from people and things in our world.
I know cognitively what am I supposed to do to fix this in my life. I have been a pastor, I have taught about this, and talked with people about it a lot. Even with all that knowledge, practically I fail at this, but I don’t know why. So I’m praying. I’m asking God to change me, to help me know and feel that He is enough for me, to help me think of others before myself, and to forgive and forget when someone wrongs me. I’m praying that God makes me more like Jesus everyday.
I know I’m not saying anything new or profound, but maybe you can relate, maybe you can say, “me too.” If that’s the case, I ask that you would pray for me, and I would love to pray for you as well.
Our world would be so much different if we would all learn this simple principle that Jesus taught us; to Love God with all that we are, and Love others the same way. I can’t wait for Heaven when that is a reality!
Thanks for reading my blog. May God richly bless you as you seek to follow Him and do His will.
A while ago the Pastor at my church did a sermon series on relationships. I just happened to hear something today that reminded me of something he said that has stuck with me, “God designed men & women to complement each other, not complete each other.”
I really like that statement. It reminds me that our identity, value, self-worth, etc. must come first from knowing that we are a child created in the image of God. This is the only way we can feel complete. If we don’t start there, then we set ourselves up for hardship.
Inevitably, the people we love will let us down, disappoint us, and even hurt us. If we are honest, we will do the same to those we love. I know I have. I have hurt those closest to me, because of my own selfishness. Getting past this is not easy, because it’s unnatural for us to think of others first. It’s hard for us to rely only on God, and it’s hard not to seek fulfillment from people and things in our world.
I know cognitively what am I supposed to do to fix this in my life. I have been a pastor, I have taught about this, and talked with people about it a lot. Even with all that knowledge, practically I fail at this, but I don’t know why. So I’m praying. I’m asking God to change me, to help me know and feel that He is enough for me, to help me think of others before myself, and to forgive and forget when someone wrongs me. I’m praying that God makes me more like Jesus everyday.
I know I’m not saying anything new or profound, but maybe you can relate, maybe you can say, “me too.” If that’s the case, I ask that you would pray for me, and I would love to pray for you as well.
Our world would be so much different if we would all learn this simple principle that Jesus taught us; to Love God with all that we are, and Love others the same way. I can’t wait for Heaven when that is a reality!
Thanks for reading my blog. May God richly bless you as you seek to follow Him and do His will.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Feeling Blessed
Have you ever gone though a period of life where you where felt kind of lost, confused, or uncertain, while at the same time you still wanted to trust God? This could sum up my last two years. Over the past two years I have struggled with my purpose, my value, my career choice, I was uncertain about a lot of things. The hardest part of this was also knowing that I was doing what I am passionate about and feel called by God to do, serve as a youth pastor at a church.
Over the last few months of 2010, I found myself feeling more and more empty, and more uncertain about what I was doing and why. I didn't know it at the time, but as I look back now I can see the journey that God was taking me on and the things He was teaching me. Through all the struggles and uncertainty I did my best to stay faithful to God and I believe that He has rewarded that.
As I left the job I had been at for five years at the end of 2010, I had no idea what the future would hold for me. I spent almost three months trying to find a job and getting nowhere. Even though it was beginning to get hard on me, I felt like I was following God's leading, and I trusted that God would provide something for me. Then in mid-March, a job came to me that I wasn't even searching for, and it landed me doing the thing I know best, youth ministry.
I started this new adventure this last week and I feel so blessed by God. I'm really enjoying life and living it to the fullest. I share all of this to try to encourage any of you who might be going through a similar situation. In the struggle I thought a lot about Jesus words in Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus tells us not to worry, but to live each day in the moment, making the most of it. The reality of that passage in Matthew 6, is that Jesus is saying He loves us, He will take care of us, and provide for us. Living and embracing this truth is what helped persevere through the uncertainty.
Whether things are going great or you're struggling, know that Jesus loves you unconditionally, and will provide for you if you seek first His kingdom and righteousness! If you took the time to read this blog, thanks. I pray that God blesses you and your family more than you can even imagine!
Over the last few months of 2010, I found myself feeling more and more empty, and more uncertain about what I was doing and why. I didn't know it at the time, but as I look back now I can see the journey that God was taking me on and the things He was teaching me. Through all the struggles and uncertainty I did my best to stay faithful to God and I believe that He has rewarded that.
As I left the job I had been at for five years at the end of 2010, I had no idea what the future would hold for me. I spent almost three months trying to find a job and getting nowhere. Even though it was beginning to get hard on me, I felt like I was following God's leading, and I trusted that God would provide something for me. Then in mid-March, a job came to me that I wasn't even searching for, and it landed me doing the thing I know best, youth ministry.
I started this new adventure this last week and I feel so blessed by God. I'm really enjoying life and living it to the fullest. I share all of this to try to encourage any of you who might be going through a similar situation. In the struggle I thought a lot about Jesus words in Matthew 6:25-34. Jesus tells us not to worry, but to live each day in the moment, making the most of it. The reality of that passage in Matthew 6, is that Jesus is saying He loves us, He will take care of us, and provide for us. Living and embracing this truth is what helped persevere through the uncertainty.
Whether things are going great or you're struggling, know that Jesus loves you unconditionally, and will provide for you if you seek first His kingdom and righteousness! If you took the time to read this blog, thanks. I pray that God blesses you and your family more than you can even imagine!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
"God Believes In You!"
In Matthew Chapter 4, God does something amazing. At the beginning of His Ministry on Earth, Jesus invites ordinary men to "Come Follow Him." Not only is Jesus inviting these guys on His journey to seek and save the lost, He is also telling them that He believes in them!
Few things have the power to change us as much as knowing that someone, believes in us. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I have new pastor friend named Greg. Our family has been attending the church he preaches at for a little over a month now. He recently did a sermon series entitled, "I Believe In You," in which he talked about how important it is to realize that God believes in us, and how important it is for us to tell people close to us that we believe in them. This has become very real in my life.
Youth ministry is all I have known, since graduating college in 2002. I spent the past five years of my life giving my all into a youth ministry that I resigned from at the end of last year. The successes and failures of this ministry greatly affected my life. I realized over the past couple of months that part of the reason I left that ministry is that I didn't always believe in myself or feel like people believed in me. It's been a hard thing for me to deal with, because I realized that most of this was my fault. I did not trust God enough, but rather relied too much on my own power in regards to this ministry.
Naturally, because of this everything in my life suffered, the quality of the youth ministry, my teaching, my passion, my family life, and even my health. It breaks my heart to think about it now. I know cognitively that God believes in me, but practically I forget a lot. Too often the busyness and pace of life and ministry had me just getting things done,. rather than spending time in prayer asking God for wisdom and help.
That being said over the past month or so, I have had to trust God. I'm unemployed and my future and my family depend on God providing right now. It sounds scary, but it's been great! God keeps letting me know that He believes in me, and as I trust Him more and pray more, God just keeps being faithful. I have to thank Greg and the community at the church we have been attending as well. They have done so much to show me that God believes in me, and that they do too. Most of them probably have no idea how much kind comments they have said to me, or just asking my opinion on something youth ministry related has meant to me, my family, and our faith! This is one case were actions have truly been louder than words to me.
I want to encourage you, know that God believes in you! If you have given your life to Jesus, then God has given you the power of His Holy Spirit in your life, and He believes in you to be Jesus to others in this world! Live that way, and tell others close to you that you believe in them, more importantly, let your actions reflect that! Blessings.
Few things have the power to change us as much as knowing that someone, believes in us. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I have new pastor friend named Greg. Our family has been attending the church he preaches at for a little over a month now. He recently did a sermon series entitled, "I Believe In You," in which he talked about how important it is to realize that God believes in us, and how important it is for us to tell people close to us that we believe in them. This has become very real in my life.
Youth ministry is all I have known, since graduating college in 2002. I spent the past five years of my life giving my all into a youth ministry that I resigned from at the end of last year. The successes and failures of this ministry greatly affected my life. I realized over the past couple of months that part of the reason I left that ministry is that I didn't always believe in myself or feel like people believed in me. It's been a hard thing for me to deal with, because I realized that most of this was my fault. I did not trust God enough, but rather relied too much on my own power in regards to this ministry.
Naturally, because of this everything in my life suffered, the quality of the youth ministry, my teaching, my passion, my family life, and even my health. It breaks my heart to think about it now. I know cognitively that God believes in me, but practically I forget a lot. Too often the busyness and pace of life and ministry had me just getting things done,. rather than spending time in prayer asking God for wisdom and help.
That being said over the past month or so, I have had to trust God. I'm unemployed and my future and my family depend on God providing right now. It sounds scary, but it's been great! God keeps letting me know that He believes in me, and as I trust Him more and pray more, God just keeps being faithful. I have to thank Greg and the community at the church we have been attending as well. They have done so much to show me that God believes in me, and that they do too. Most of them probably have no idea how much kind comments they have said to me, or just asking my opinion on something youth ministry related has meant to me, my family, and our faith! This is one case were actions have truly been louder than words to me.
I want to encourage you, know that God believes in you! If you have given your life to Jesus, then God has given you the power of His Holy Spirit in your life, and He believes in you to be Jesus to others in this world! Live that way, and tell others close to you that you believe in them, more importantly, let your actions reflect that! Blessings.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Give More, Collect Less!
I don't really make New Year's resolutions, but Sarah and I have made this quasi resolution; Give more, collect less.
I have been thinking about stewardship a lot lately. This started in December when I was studying a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25:14-30 for a sermon. It's commonly called, "Parable of the Talents" (if you have time, read it).
I have read this parable many times, heard several sermons on it, and even taught on it myself. But I read it in a new light as I reflected on the definition of stewardship (which is about managing others stuff; money, property, affairs, households, etc.). As I think about the application of this parable, I wonder if I am doing a good job managing all that God has given me?
This is what Jesus is talking about in the afore mentioned parable in Matthew 25. Do we use all that God has given us to invest in His Kingdom, His purposes, His will? Do we manage what God has given us well? I am not sure of my answer.
My wife and I give a percentage of our income to a local church, we have sponsor kids in third world countries though World Vision and Compassion International, we donate unused clothing and household items to places like Crossfire Ministries, Springs Rescue Mission, and Goodwill, and we give our time serving others and places in the community. We do all that with joy, but is that enough?
I don't say any of that to be prideful, because we also have a house full of stuff (closets full of clothing, furniture, 2 cars, a television, this computer I'm writing this blog with (and the list goes on). In fact, we have stuff sitting in the basement of our current rental house that hasn't been out of the box in years. We have moved it several times. I don't feel like we hoard stuff, but I also wonder what Jesus would say to me about all our stuff.
There is a place in the Bible where Jesus talks with a rich young man (Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30). This guy asks Jesus what He must do to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Jesus, replies that he must sell everything he has and give it to the poor. We never know if this young man does this. The text says he walks away sad, dejected, and Jesus goes on to talk about how hard it is for rich people to make it into heaven. The general assumption is that this wealthy young man couldn't let go of his stuff, not even to save his soul from hell. How tragic.
But let's put ourselves in this guys shoes. If you live in America compared to the rest of the world you are rich. There is no arguing that America is wealthiest country in the world. The general rule of thumb when it comes to wealth worldwide is this, if you have choices you are considered rich. For more perspective, one-third (more than two billon) of all people worldwide live on $2 or less a day. Most Americans have more than that in change in our car, or in our couch. Anyway...
What if Jesus came to you or me and asked us to sell all that we had and give it to the poor? I wonder, would I or could I do that? What about you, would you sell your house, your car(s), your computer, your cell phone, your clothes, the things you collect, everything? Could you give it all away?
In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
These words of Jesus sometimes feel like a dagger in my heart. I see all the stuff my family has, and sometimes I wonder if our money and our things are our treasure. I don't think that they are. It's our goal to be more generous this year. We are aiming to give away more, and acquire as little as possible. We want to put more of our time, our stuff, our money, our resources, etc. into becoming like Jesus. We want our treasure to be Jesus. We want to spend eternity with Him. I hope that Jesus is your treasure as well!
If you took the time to read this, I hope and pray you are doing your best to give all that you have, and all that you are to following in the footsteps of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. May God bless you, and may you bless others, for the sake of Jesus' Kingdom!
I have been thinking about stewardship a lot lately. This started in December when I was studying a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25:14-30 for a sermon. It's commonly called, "Parable of the Talents" (if you have time, read it).
I have read this parable many times, heard several sermons on it, and even taught on it myself. But I read it in a new light as I reflected on the definition of stewardship (which is about managing others stuff; money, property, affairs, households, etc.). As I think about the application of this parable, I wonder if I am doing a good job managing all that God has given me?
This is what Jesus is talking about in the afore mentioned parable in Matthew 25. Do we use all that God has given us to invest in His Kingdom, His purposes, His will? Do we manage what God has given us well? I am not sure of my answer.
My wife and I give a percentage of our income to a local church, we have sponsor kids in third world countries though World Vision and Compassion International, we donate unused clothing and household items to places like Crossfire Ministries, Springs Rescue Mission, and Goodwill, and we give our time serving others and places in the community. We do all that with joy, but is that enough?
I don't say any of that to be prideful, because we also have a house full of stuff (closets full of clothing, furniture, 2 cars, a television, this computer I'm writing this blog with (and the list goes on). In fact, we have stuff sitting in the basement of our current rental house that hasn't been out of the box in years. We have moved it several times. I don't feel like we hoard stuff, but I also wonder what Jesus would say to me about all our stuff.
There is a place in the Bible where Jesus talks with a rich young man (Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30). This guy asks Jesus what He must do to spend eternity in heaven with Him. Jesus, replies that he must sell everything he has and give it to the poor. We never know if this young man does this. The text says he walks away sad, dejected, and Jesus goes on to talk about how hard it is for rich people to make it into heaven. The general assumption is that this wealthy young man couldn't let go of his stuff, not even to save his soul from hell. How tragic.
But let's put ourselves in this guys shoes. If you live in America compared to the rest of the world you are rich. There is no arguing that America is wealthiest country in the world. The general rule of thumb when it comes to wealth worldwide is this, if you have choices you are considered rich. For more perspective, one-third (more than two billon) of all people worldwide live on $2 or less a day. Most Americans have more than that in change in our car, or in our couch. Anyway...
What if Jesus came to you or me and asked us to sell all that we had and give it to the poor? I wonder, would I or could I do that? What about you, would you sell your house, your car(s), your computer, your cell phone, your clothes, the things you collect, everything? Could you give it all away?
In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
These words of Jesus sometimes feel like a dagger in my heart. I see all the stuff my family has, and sometimes I wonder if our money and our things are our treasure. I don't think that they are. It's our goal to be more generous this year. We are aiming to give away more, and acquire as little as possible. We want to put more of our time, our stuff, our money, our resources, etc. into becoming like Jesus. We want our treasure to be Jesus. We want to spend eternity with Him. I hope that Jesus is your treasure as well!
If you took the time to read this, I hope and pray you are doing your best to give all that you have, and all that you are to following in the footsteps of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. May God bless you, and may you bless others, for the sake of Jesus' Kingdom!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sabbath!
Today is an interesting day for me. If you know me or read my previous blog post, you know that I recently resigned from a youth ministry position I had for five years, without a job to go to. I have been gainfully employed for around 15 years. The last ten years of that I have been in full-time ministry. So, today for the first time in nearly 10 years, I slept in on a Sunday, that I wasn't on PTO/ Vacation. We chose to attend a church last night with some good family friends.
It does feel weird that I was not at church this morning, and that I didn't "have" to be there, because I work there. Here are a few things that I did not miss about being in church today:
1. Getting up really early on a Sunday morning. I wish there was a Levitical Law that Jesus quoted in the Sermon on The Mount forbidding being at a church building before 9:00 AM. Tony is NOT a morning person.
2. Having to be nice and smiley no matter how crappy I may feel. Pastors are people too, they get sick, sore, tired, upset, have bad things happen to them, etc. How about we cut our pastors some slack, and not always expect them to smile just, because we said hi.
3. Being distracted during worship services. I am usually thinking about what students, adults volunteers, other staff members, etc. that I need to talk to that Saturday or Sunday, or what I need to get done for upcoming events. I realize this is my fault, but ministry is consuming. Although, I also get distracted by people who talk to me, throw things at me, or text me during services.
4. Getting blamed for rowdy Middle & High School Students who run the hallways or are obnoxious during church services. Grow some courage, and go talk to those kids and/ or their parents, not your youth pastor. If you don't know who their parents are ask that question or follow them, but not in a stalker/ creeper way!
5. Getting asked questions that could easily be answered if people (usually the same ones from week to week & month to month) would check & read any one of the following items first; the bulletin, the newsletter, the various bulletin boards around the church, the e-newsletter, the website, or the facebook group page. Come on people, put in your due diligence.
I'm not trying to be cynical. I love the church, being in church, and being in ministry. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others connect with their Savior. I am merely pointing out for me, how glorious it is to be able to Worship & Sabbath! So today, and maybe several Sunday's to come I'm looking forward to a true day of Sabbath with Sarah and the kids!
If you took the time to read my thoughts in this blog, I pray that you find rest and peace in the arms of our Heavenly Father. May you find time to Sabbath and be renewed by God's Holy Spirit! I also pray God's richest blessings for you and your family!
It does feel weird that I was not at church this morning, and that I didn't "have" to be there, because I work there. Here are a few things that I did not miss about being in church today:
1. Getting up really early on a Sunday morning. I wish there was a Levitical Law that Jesus quoted in the Sermon on The Mount forbidding being at a church building before 9:00 AM. Tony is NOT a morning person.
2. Having to be nice and smiley no matter how crappy I may feel. Pastors are people too, they get sick, sore, tired, upset, have bad things happen to them, etc. How about we cut our pastors some slack, and not always expect them to smile just, because we said hi.
3. Being distracted during worship services. I am usually thinking about what students, adults volunteers, other staff members, etc. that I need to talk to that Saturday or Sunday, or what I need to get done for upcoming events. I realize this is my fault, but ministry is consuming. Although, I also get distracted by people who talk to me, throw things at me, or text me during services.
4. Getting blamed for rowdy Middle & High School Students who run the hallways or are obnoxious during church services. Grow some courage, and go talk to those kids and/ or their parents, not your youth pastor. If you don't know who their parents are ask that question or follow them, but not in a stalker/ creeper way!
5. Getting asked questions that could easily be answered if people (usually the same ones from week to week & month to month) would check & read any one of the following items first; the bulletin, the newsletter, the various bulletin boards around the church, the e-newsletter, the website, or the facebook group page. Come on people, put in your due diligence.
I'm not trying to be cynical. I love the church, being in church, and being in ministry. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others connect with their Savior. I am merely pointing out for me, how glorious it is to be able to Worship & Sabbath! So today, and maybe several Sunday's to come I'm looking forward to a true day of Sabbath with Sarah and the kids!
If you took the time to read my thoughts in this blog, I pray that you find rest and peace in the arms of our Heavenly Father. May you find time to Sabbath and be renewed by God's Holy Spirit! I also pray God's richest blessings for you and your family!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Trusting God Into Unemployment...
On December 1st 2010, my wife & I made a decision that would forever change our future. I resigned my position at Sunnyside Christian Church where I have been the Student Pastor for the past 5 years.
I was not fired, I was not asked to resign, and I did not do anything immoral. I am leaving with my integrity intact and on good terms with the leadership of the church.
The part that forever changed our future, is that we made this decision without a job for me to go to, or an idea of what I will do next.
So why would I do this?
Well, it was a decision that I have been thinking about and wrestling with for awhile. I found myself in a place where my heart & passion were not one-hundred percent in my ministry. Because of that, I did not feel it was fair to the church, my adult leaders that I work with, and especially to the students, that I continue as their Student Pastor if my whole heart was not in it.
Another big part of this was church business and politics. I just got tired of the non-sense of the corporate world sliding into this church and the changes in the way it is run/ overseen.
As you can imagine, this was a very hard decision to make, but one that my wife Sarah & I believe God was leading us to. So, I am trusting God to provide as I enter the world of the unemployed on Monday, January 3, 2011.
Sometimes for our faith to grow we have to put ourselves in an uncomfortable place. This decision will force us to trust God to provide and rely on Him to get us through it. Ultimately, we believe this decision will cause much spiritual growth in our lives. God is stirring something in my heart and in His time he will reveal what's next for me.
Sarah & I want to first and foremost be obedient to God, to do His will, and bring Him glory! I hope that you want that too. I pray that God would bless you greatly, and that you would be obedient to Him.
I was not fired, I was not asked to resign, and I did not do anything immoral. I am leaving with my integrity intact and on good terms with the leadership of the church.
The part that forever changed our future, is that we made this decision without a job for me to go to, or an idea of what I will do next.
So why would I do this?
Well, it was a decision that I have been thinking about and wrestling with for awhile. I found myself in a place where my heart & passion were not one-hundred percent in my ministry. Because of that, I did not feel it was fair to the church, my adult leaders that I work with, and especially to the students, that I continue as their Student Pastor if my whole heart was not in it.
Another big part of this was church business and politics. I just got tired of the non-sense of the corporate world sliding into this church and the changes in the way it is run/ overseen.
As you can imagine, this was a very hard decision to make, but one that my wife Sarah & I believe God was leading us to. So, I am trusting God to provide as I enter the world of the unemployed on Monday, January 3, 2011.
Sometimes for our faith to grow we have to put ourselves in an uncomfortable place. This decision will force us to trust God to provide and rely on Him to get us through it. Ultimately, we believe this decision will cause much spiritual growth in our lives. God is stirring something in my heart and in His time he will reveal what's next for me.
Sarah & I want to first and foremost be obedient to God, to do His will, and bring Him glory! I hope that you want that too. I pray that God would bless you greatly, and that you would be obedient to Him.
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