03.24.09
Posted in God Centered, God in general, Pain at 11:04 pm by Administrator
Have you ever been at the end of your rope facing such overwhelming odds or trials that you didn’t think you would overcome them? Just like a muscle is built up unless it is broken down through exercise, so is our faith. I have talked with many people about how they came to faith. Like myself, a lot of people talk about how it was a series of trials or traumatic events that rocked their words and pushed them towards God. Sometimes it can be things that just change our lives such as getting marriage or having kids. But sometimes it can be when the world that we have crafted around us comes crashing down upon us. That was my story. I actually wrote a poem about it called Soliloquy of a Broken Man. Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians.
We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 2 Corinthians 1:8-10
So could trauma and trial be ways that God helps us to not rely on ourselves but rather more fully on Him? In my experience, I would have to say yes. All the twelve step programs talk about how people admit that their problem was greater than themselves and that they had to seek a higher power to see them through. Trauma brings pain and we all know how pain has a way of getting people’s attention. So I will end with a thought from 1 Peter where Peter says in 1 Peter 1:6-7.
though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7
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03.23.09
Posted in Communication, God Centered, relationship at 7:34 pm by Administrator
I hate to admit it but I really get mad when things don’t go my way. That is when most of us begin praying. We ask God that if he will only do _______ (Fill in the blank) then we will be _______ (Insert whatever religious, godly or pious action here). What are we trying to do here? I would submit to you that this is nothing better than a spiritual begging at best or a full blown spiritual fit at its worst.
What are we really trying to do here? I was reminded of what my true motive may be when I read a blog piece by a friend of mine named Patrick Oden. We try to force God to do our will. I do this way too often when I look at my own experience. Yet when I look at my life during various episodes of disappointment I realize I was bargaining with God. I got mad when I didn’t get what I wanted. Looking back, I am reminded of Garth Brooks’ song “Unanswered Prayers”. In the song, he thanks God for unanswered prayers because he ended up with something wonderful in the end despite not getting what he was asking for in his prayers at the time.
Recent events have made me realize that sometimes we have to just let go of what we want and just trust God to provide.
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02.25.09
Posted in God Centered, community, love at 12:45 am by Administrator
Who are the people you feel closest to? What makes these people unique in your life? In many ways, we are shaped by those people that are around us both for our betterment and our detriment.
Coming through the ordeals I have had to face over the past weeks, I find that often the most intense level of community comes through a sharing of intense experiences. I have formed significant friendships with several of the people I recently was in the hospital with. Many of these people, I share very little common cultural or social bonds with as we are completely different in many ways. We aren’t the same ethnicity, socio-economic status, lifestyle, religious background and hang out in the same social circles. Yet, there is an intense bond I have with these people because of our intense shared experience of our hospital stays. It makes me understand it when they say the most intense friendships or relationships are between those who have fought in war together. They have the same intense experiences that forced them together and forced them to interact with each other.
Interacting with these people has been so refreshing to me. I find myself seeing things about myself that I don’t think I would have ever been able to discover if I wasn’t seen through eyes that looked from quite a different perspective. Before coming to a relationship with Jesus, I probably would have ignored these people if I came across them on the street. But now I have a love for these people that I can’t describe and I gain so much from my interaction with them. When I first got to the hospital I viewed myself as different, yet when we were forced together through an intense experience, I realized that these were people too despite whatever condition got them there. They were deserving of love, patience and acceptance just as much as I was. So for me, I have to thank God for the junk I had to go through because through it I was able to meet these people who have opened my eyes even more to what God’s kingdom here on earth really should be.
What prompted me to write this was my reading of Jonathan Brink’s blog and his work at acheiving authentic Godly community at Thrive Ministries . To read more on his view of what authentic Godly community is, read a recent post he wrote called Elusive Authentic Community
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02.15.09
Posted in God Centered, God in general, Spiritual Warfare, relationship at 3:27 pm by Administrator
We think of those we consider as steadfast christians. Previously, I discuss how I recently had a stay at a hospital. How does someone who is firm in their faith, end up in a position where they are in a state like this? I would suffice to say that we allow things into our lives that can serve as chinks in our armor where we can be attacked. We are told by Paul that:
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (Eph 6:11 NIV)
I found myself in a situation where I was stewing in anger and resentment. Letting the sun go down on our anger opened up those chinks in the armor of God that’s protects us. That is what happenned to me. I was so upset that it led to resentment. The resentment led hatred. So I found myself with an opening in the armor that protected me from attack that you could run an army through. God is very clear about how we deal with this. He tells us frequently in the bible about the dangers of opening up chinks in our armor due to resentment, anger and wrath.
Resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple. Job 5:2 NIV
The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help. Job 36:13 NIV
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. 1 John 2:11 NIV
In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Psalm 4:4 NIV
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. Psalm 37:8 NIV
I think what happenned to me could serve as a good warning to all. Sometimes we in our self-centeredness choose to focus on the things that we feel wronged about. We focus on our pain and our struggle. When inevitably we should give them up to God. I think this is one of the hardest things we as Christians are called to do. It is so natural for us to focus on how we have been wronged or how we feel that we lose sense of the love and people we are called to be in community and relationship with. To quote a counselor I had in the hospital, it as if we tell people that we love them and to come close with one hand and then we push them away and tell them to get the heck away with the other.
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01.23.09
Posted in God Centered, Pain, love, relationship at 11:12 am by Administrator
We hear a lot of ministering to the whole person. There is a desire to feel complete in our pursuit of life. Yet many of us feel that sense of something that is missing. These kinds of voids are felt in our lives. They nag at us and tear at the joy in our lives.
I am experiencing a time in my life where I am facing a tremendous amount of change in my life. So of these changes have been self imposed or self inflicted and others have been thrust upon me. It is in this condition, I feel the anxiety of life pressing in upon me. Yet how I react to these things is reflective of how well I am dealing with these stressors in my life. I wish I could tell you that I am having no problems dealing with these things, but inevitably I cannot.
Into this situation, I came across the work and ministry of Jonathan Brink and Thrive Ministries . He talked about the search for wholeness through our relationship with Christ. How that is a shared journey. How we need to address our own brokenness through our relationship with our God and with those fellow believers around us. I realized how true that is. How so far of the mark in many ways I myself am. I find myself anxious and fearful and resentful and angry about things going on in my life when in reality all I am truly doing is trying to protect myself and my own brokenness. In protecting myself I am cutting myself off from that which can truly make me whole. The sad thing is that I and many others do these things because we think we are protecting ourselves.
I think of several passages in the Gospel of John that really illustrate this for me. The first is John 14:27
I leave you peace, my peace I give to you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
And again in John 15: 5, 11-13
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…… I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 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.
I have someone I love very much that I almost lost because I tried to protect myself and be apart from relationship. It was only when I truly stepped out in love disregarding the possible consequences that I was able to overcome my brokenness and reach this person again. I guess this is my own journey that I am making to get back to the wholeness that we all want.
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09.11.08
Posted in God Centered, creation at 5:32 pm by Administrator
I sit here waiting. I am waiting on a huge hurricane that is bearing down on where I live. I sit in the cross hairs of this storm. Yet the power and strength that is in this storm are awe inspiring. One thing about a hurricane is that often it can change everything. Hurricanes have a power and majesty to them that makes everyone stop and take notice. I look about today at what is going on. The frantic bustle and constant pursuit of our own needs came to a stop today as we had to take notice of this storm. We had to react. I think God does this with us too. He can stop us in our tracks and make us take notice.
Though I am scared about the effects that Hurricane Ike will have on my community, hurricanes always seem to bring out the best in people as people are forced to help one another. The aftermath of such a storm seems to work as a magnet for people wanting to help others. One thing I have learned is that the goodness of God often comes through things we view as bad or through intense times of trial.
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09.02.08
Posted in God Centered, God in general, relationship at 10:14 am by Administrator
I recently read a interesting post by Jonathan Brink called “God Colors”. Below I have put the question that he puts forth of how we see the reflection of God in our churches. I was instantly reminded of the song “De Colores” which is used frequently at the Walk to Emmaus retreat. The chorus goes like this:
“De Colores, and so must all love be of every bright color to make my heart cry.”
So based on this interpretation, I believe that we see “God-colors” in church when we see people reaching out to others, both within and outside the church in love through their relationships. This is done regardless of who the person is. In doing this they are acting out their own relationship with God with others. May be a bit simplistic but I believe it is very real.
So here are the rule for this mene (for those of you who don’t know what this is, it is any thought or behavior that can be passed from one person to another by learning or imitation. I didn’t know what it was when I first heard the word.) are placed below:
I want to start a meme that will focus on creativity in the church. I hope you will join me. The meme is simple. Select one option and answer it.
Option 1: What is one thing you have seen in the church that really produces a reflection of God colors? It is so good that people can’t help but realize that God is present and active.
Option 2: What is one thing you would like to see in church that you know in your heart would reflect God colors? Use your imagination. The sky is the limit.
The protocol for a meme is as follows:
Answer the question on your blog.
Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
Link back to the original meme.
Post these rules on your blog.
Tag at least 5 people at the end of your post.
Let each person you tag know that they have been tagged.
I am tagging Bard, Bob, Andy, Patrick, Terence.
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08.24.08
Posted in God Centered, relationship at 12:25 am by Administrator
I once heard Steve Sample, the president of the University of Southern California, speak at a conference. He joked that his pastor was going to kill him for saying this, but that he had been an Episcopalian for 44 years and a Christian for 25. The thought slammed into my mind like a runaway train filled with explosives and diesel fuel. How true is that statement? If we think not just for him, but for all of us, we find ourselves living lives where we have all the religious trappings upon us but the insides are hollow. The prophet Ezekiel referred to this as “when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash” (Ez 13:10). Jesus referred to Pharisees who were like this in Mt 23:27 as “whitewashed tombs”.
I have always said that it’s not about the ritual, it’s about the relationship. However today I heard a great presentation, by a fellow named John, who had prepared it for an upcoming Men’s Emmaus Walk for the North Houston Emmaus Community. He asked “Do we have a religion or do we have a relationship? Do we have a God or do we have a Savior? Do we merely believe in God and not fully believe God at work in our lives?”
This poses a great question for me. How do we know when we just have religion without the relationship? The answer is that we looked at how God is working in our lives. It really comes down to what our intentions are. So are we for real or are we just a thin layer of whitewash covering up a broken wall?
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08.22.08
Posted in God Centered, Spiritual Warfare, missional at 12:50 am by Administrator
I was reading my friend Bob East’s blog, Movin On where he talks about being missional and John Ortberg in the same post. The reference remindered me of a presentation that John Ortberg gave at the 2007 Willowcreek Leadership Summit last August. He talked about a concept he called one’s “shadow mission“. When he spoke about it, it really hit home with me and my own walk in relationship to God.
John Ortberg spoke about how everyone has a mission in life. As I thought about it I personally looked at it this way. When we are in relationship with God, He gives us opportunity to “join in his work” to quote Blackaby’s “Experiencing God”. Ortberg continued with an illustration about how one’s mission can be derailed. He said that many people think that when Satan seeks to thwart your godly mission that he tries to take us in the opposite direction. This, Ortberg said, could not be further from the truth. Often, Satan will take your godly mission and deflect it slightly. Just like archery or riflery, a small deflection can mean that you miss the target.
This bring Matthew 7:21-23 in focus quite well.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Ortberg said that in his case his mission is teaching and writing. However his shadow mission is seeking approval of others and seeking validation of his ministry through people. Ortberg made a chilling comment. If you do not know what your shadow mission is, then you are probably doing it. How about you?
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Posted in God Centered, relationship at 12:22 am by Administrator
I recently ran into a guy that I met at Taft Street Coffee in Houston. Now he and I really don’t have much in common, especially on a socio-economic level. This fellow one day had just walked up to me and began telling me his story about how he had found God. As he told me the story about how he had been addicted to meth and how he had wandered into the coffee shop looking for a glass of water. He told me that he had found so much more. It showed me that we need to be aware of the people that we meet and those that cross our paths.
Now 4 months later, I have realized how much I have in common with this lower classed, former meth junkie. At the time we met, he showed me his former track marks and I commented that I had my scars too but they resided on the inside. Every time we see each other, it seems we were made to help each other out. It is eerie how similar our struggles are despite how different we are. God had provided both of us a person who truly cared about the problems that we had and who would listen and give aid. It is sad that in my former Christian life I would have just walked away from someone like this who has been such a blessing in my life.
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