Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Pressing on...
As the commercial goes... we are no longer a society that seems to want to fix things, but rather one who discards the things that "don't work" and simply replace them with new ones. What ever happened to getting dirty and working through something? Is there anything left to be said for the pressing on factor?
Friday, January 11, 2008
Peeves!
Alright; bear with me for a few minutes.
First topic: Hypocrisy
I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that i think i am perfect. Because I will be the first to tell you that I am not, but I am working at it.
Below this post you will find a 5 min video from the "Rev." Al Sharpton informing the general population of KFC lovers that they are eating abused chicken and that what KFC does to their chicken is absurd. If the method's used in the video are true then yes i do feel for the people that do such things as well as the chickens, after all they are given for food but who said the way to become food had to be so rough. I mean for crying out loud you don't see lions in the jungle beating their prey with razor sharp claws and carrying them around in their mouths still half dead. Oh wait yea you do. Or hungry male bears after coming out of hibernation eating the young cubs when they cant find any fish to eat. Oh wait, yea you do.
Now understandably so we should not be cruel in the method of eating things or going about killing them. After all we are a "higher" grade of "evolution" than the bear and lion. Well at least the majority of the population could make that statement. Here is where i have a slight dilemma...
Is it not much that same cruelty as far as ethical treatment goes, that people in the categories of self righteous presupposing blood sucking politicians (and by politicians i mean anyone who lobbies for something or someone)(no names mentioned here) place on groups and situations to exploit their own political gain? I mean what about all of the people in the congregations that "Rev's" talk to and endorse non-biblical agendas from a place that is spoken by the mouth of God to be sacred? Is that not unfair and unethical treatment of what scientist call the "human animal"? I don't understand How on one side of the table we have people that can lobby for causes that don't have a real large bearing on the eternal destiny of people and then on the other side we have the same people lobbying for causes that are completely contrary to what they were doing five minuets ago in front of the same cameras and the population hails them as hero's. Do we live in such a short sighted narrow minded self absorbed society that we cant see this? Surely it is not that bad.
Second: Whole foods.
Now I love me some good home grown vegetables and melon not to mention blackberries. They have to be my favorite. However in obtaining such wholesome non-processed foods I find myself in a quandary.
How is it that I can go to Walmart (don't get me started on Walmart) and buy a five pound bag of highly processed white "sugar" for .49 cents and find right next to it a "non-processed" 3 pound box of naturally tan-ish colored sugar for $3.49. Now I could be completely wrong in this but I assure you that I am not. Would it not make more sense to have a product that grows naturally all on its own and harvested with minimal equipment and people, packaged with minimal effort with no chemicals or dyes or preservatives or coloring added to be cheaper than something that is chemically and forcefully manufactured harvested with multi-million dollar equipment fed through miles of conveyor sifted thousands of times handled by at least 25 people shipped on several different trucks trains and boats and then sent to the store? Where is the social justice in that? Are we so bent on making a profit that we will push carcinogen loaded food on people knowing that they cause harm and are not good for people short or long term that we price things to make record breaking profits. And how in the world did grass become gold to be able to sell 1 gallon of milk for nearly $5? Who said the industrial revolution was the greatest thing to happen to America?
I have always wanted to have a lot of land that I could ride horses on and run gas guzzling 4wheelers and off road vehicles on so that I could enjoy nature the way God intended. Should we not all be able to have that luxury? But instead we are forced by popular demand to sift through shelves and shelves of colorful boxes and bags that are 5% recycled (and what happens to the other 95%?) to find food that is actually, really and truly good for you? We run down our cities by a cycle of wealth that starts off with a booming center of town filled with all kinds of lovely things including fresh markets and people only to find that in 10 years those people that lived there decided to go out to the"country" to have the American dream. And in the process shift the "skirter's" those people that once lived out side of town for various reasons to move into town and create the "bottoms" culture. oh wait I need to start another heading...
Third: Urbanization
With this cycle we eventually find that the poor people are now inhabiting the houses that used to be filled with rich people and vice versa. Soon We have dilapidated cities with pockets of violent crime and displaced people due to the almighty dollar and that once again group of people mentioned in section one of this rant. When are we going to understand that newer is not always better?
Would it not make more sense to allow this shift to take place so that people can live where they want to and or need to in some cases and along the way make provisions to not only cater to one group of people? I mean who wants their kids growing up in a place where the buildings they walk past every morning and afternoon on their way home from school are ready to fall down any moment? Who wants their kids growing up knowing more about street life and how to handle a drug deal or have sex without getting some crippling disease more than they want them to learn about the things in life that matter and how to believe in something other than their own illogical untested moment by moment wavering emotions. Can we not settle the fact that truth is missing in the lives of this type of population both inside and outside of city limits? And that something must be done to bring it. Can we not find it in our little hearts and governmental minds to stop enabling people to continue in a self defeating mentality that cripples their God given drive to feel like they matter? Is there not more to life than little blue wrappers and cigarette butts not to mention the clutter that consumes our closets because we all at some point can find it in ourselves to face the truths that bring about real honest to God change; lasting change?
In closing; where oh where did our life go?
First topic: Hypocrisy
I don't want you to get the wrong idea and think that i think i am perfect. Because I will be the first to tell you that I am not, but I am working at it.
Below this post you will find a 5 min video from the "Rev." Al Sharpton informing the general population of KFC lovers that they are eating abused chicken and that what KFC does to their chicken is absurd. If the method's used in the video are true then yes i do feel for the people that do such things as well as the chickens, after all they are given for food but who said the way to become food had to be so rough. I mean for crying out loud you don't see lions in the jungle beating their prey with razor sharp claws and carrying them around in their mouths still half dead. Oh wait yea you do. Or hungry male bears after coming out of hibernation eating the young cubs when they cant find any fish to eat. Oh wait, yea you do.
Now understandably so we should not be cruel in the method of eating things or going about killing them. After all we are a "higher" grade of "evolution" than the bear and lion. Well at least the majority of the population could make that statement. Here is where i have a slight dilemma...
Is it not much that same cruelty as far as ethical treatment goes, that people in the categories of self righteous presupposing blood sucking politicians (and by politicians i mean anyone who lobbies for something or someone)(no names mentioned here) place on groups and situations to exploit their own political gain? I mean what about all of the people in the congregations that "Rev's" talk to and endorse non-biblical agendas from a place that is spoken by the mouth of God to be sacred? Is that not unfair and unethical treatment of what scientist call the "human animal"? I don't understand How on one side of the table we have people that can lobby for causes that don't have a real large bearing on the eternal destiny of people and then on the other side we have the same people lobbying for causes that are completely contrary to what they were doing five minuets ago in front of the same cameras and the population hails them as hero's. Do we live in such a short sighted narrow minded self absorbed society that we cant see this? Surely it is not that bad.
Second: Whole foods.
Now I love me some good home grown vegetables and melon not to mention blackberries. They have to be my favorite. However in obtaining such wholesome non-processed foods I find myself in a quandary.
How is it that I can go to Walmart (don't get me started on Walmart) and buy a five pound bag of highly processed white "sugar" for .49 cents and find right next to it a "non-processed" 3 pound box of naturally tan-ish colored sugar for $3.49. Now I could be completely wrong in this but I assure you that I am not. Would it not make more sense to have a product that grows naturally all on its own and harvested with minimal equipment and people, packaged with minimal effort with no chemicals or dyes or preservatives or coloring added to be cheaper than something that is chemically and forcefully manufactured harvested with multi-million dollar equipment fed through miles of conveyor sifted thousands of times handled by at least 25 people shipped on several different trucks trains and boats and then sent to the store? Where is the social justice in that? Are we so bent on making a profit that we will push carcinogen loaded food on people knowing that they cause harm and are not good for people short or long term that we price things to make record breaking profits. And how in the world did grass become gold to be able to sell 1 gallon of milk for nearly $5? Who said the industrial revolution was the greatest thing to happen to America?
I have always wanted to have a lot of land that I could ride horses on and run gas guzzling 4wheelers and off road vehicles on so that I could enjoy nature the way God intended. Should we not all be able to have that luxury? But instead we are forced by popular demand to sift through shelves and shelves of colorful boxes and bags that are 5% recycled (and what happens to the other 95%?) to find food that is actually, really and truly good for you? We run down our cities by a cycle of wealth that starts off with a booming center of town filled with all kinds of lovely things including fresh markets and people only to find that in 10 years those people that lived there decided to go out to the"country" to have the American dream. And in the process shift the "skirter's" those people that once lived out side of town for various reasons to move into town and create the "bottoms" culture. oh wait I need to start another heading...
Third: Urbanization
With this cycle we eventually find that the poor people are now inhabiting the houses that used to be filled with rich people and vice versa. Soon We have dilapidated cities with pockets of violent crime and displaced people due to the almighty dollar and that once again group of people mentioned in section one of this rant. When are we going to understand that newer is not always better?
Would it not make more sense to allow this shift to take place so that people can live where they want to and or need to in some cases and along the way make provisions to not only cater to one group of people? I mean who wants their kids growing up in a place where the buildings they walk past every morning and afternoon on their way home from school are ready to fall down any moment? Who wants their kids growing up knowing more about street life and how to handle a drug deal or have sex without getting some crippling disease more than they want them to learn about the things in life that matter and how to believe in something other than their own illogical untested moment by moment wavering emotions. Can we not settle the fact that truth is missing in the lives of this type of population both inside and outside of city limits? And that something must be done to bring it. Can we not find it in our little hearts and governmental minds to stop enabling people to continue in a self defeating mentality that cripples their God given drive to feel like they matter? Is there not more to life than little blue wrappers and cigarette butts not to mention the clutter that consumes our closets because we all at some point can find it in ourselves to face the truths that bring about real honest to God change; lasting change?
In closing; where oh where did our life go?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Lines of Demarcation
Early on in our walk with Christ we are confronted with the picture of The savior kneeling down and writing in the sand before men and one particular woman. We are unclear as to what He was writing. Maybe it was a picture He was drawing. It could have been a sunset over the sea of Galilee that He was picturing in His mind to "get away" from all of the fuss that people brought to Him constantly. Maybe He was writing a joke in the sand about the people that were around Him. It could have been the origin of the smiley face t-shirt. Who knows. Whatever it was it sure was interesting.
He makes a good point though in the midst of the question; when confronted by belligerent people it does one good to kneel and artistically etch a picture or poem. This could have been Jesus way of telling us to journal... although I doubt it. I wonder what the woman saw. If she saw anything. Her mind could have been a thousand other places thinking about a thousand different things, then again she was a whore not the most educated of people, yet still He wrote/drew in front of her for a reason.
In the people business we are often placed in scenarios similar to that of Jesus here. An angry crowd gathers, people roar, accusations come, people are thrown and the question goes out... "Who are you, and what do you stand for?"
It is in these moments that we are forced to gather our thoughts and dig deeper than the artificial intelligent s' that we typically operate from and look to the id of our souls.
What cramps us in our sleep to awaken the inner workings of desire begin to come to the forefront of our mind. Words begin to form. Lips begin to move and then we come to the place where our finger is strategically placed on the trigger that will fire the shot to bring down the prey that lurks over the horizon of our destiny. Will we in this moment go beyond the threshold of our everyday life and meet a challenge directed at the essence of who we are in a way that will make us proud of ourselves and yet still warrant the savior kneeling beside us to tell us the secrets of His heart.
One might say that the secrets of The Heart of God are just that; secret. I would beg to differ. It is in these moments that we are closest to His heart. He has been challenged just as we have been and continue to be. I would wager to believe that it is here that we find our selves more closely knit to The heart of God for He knows it is through these confrontations that we blossom into something greater than ourselves. Here we meet the very DNA that makes us tick the way we do when we are so embedded in Christ and Him crucified. And we are then able to muster the very words that set us free from the beginning... "It is FINISHED!"
Serving people will always take us to dusty patches of seldom traveled road, and grant us access into the lives of whores and all types of belligerent people. Caring about the dust, trying to sweep the streets clean is a task we do good to forget. On this path there are no lanes one can come and go as they please. Yet the bounds of the edge are clear, so to are the lines of comfort that get crossed, wiped away and reset.
Carrying proud the dream/calling/passion and hope that Christ has placed within each is the task that we must desire; for it to be completed. If you have not; seek it and it will be found. Our release from such people and places has been given only on one condition; leave it and let it be. Whether we find ourselves the whore or in the place of Christ forgiving the sins of the ones thrown to our feet. Looking down to the path that got us here and marking a record an ebeneezer if you will, and looking on toward into and through The heart that calls to us will leave us behind at that place as we walk forward in redemption/freedom and purpose with the option of never returning to the place we now walk away from.
He makes a good point though in the midst of the question; when confronted by belligerent people it does one good to kneel and artistically etch a picture or poem. This could have been Jesus way of telling us to journal... although I doubt it. I wonder what the woman saw. If she saw anything. Her mind could have been a thousand other places thinking about a thousand different things, then again she was a whore not the most educated of people, yet still He wrote/drew in front of her for a reason.
In the people business we are often placed in scenarios similar to that of Jesus here. An angry crowd gathers, people roar, accusations come, people are thrown and the question goes out... "Who are you, and what do you stand for?"
It is in these moments that we are forced to gather our thoughts and dig deeper than the artificial intelligent s' that we typically operate from and look to the id of our souls.
What cramps us in our sleep to awaken the inner workings of desire begin to come to the forefront of our mind. Words begin to form. Lips begin to move and then we come to the place where our finger is strategically placed on the trigger that will fire the shot to bring down the prey that lurks over the horizon of our destiny. Will we in this moment go beyond the threshold of our everyday life and meet a challenge directed at the essence of who we are in a way that will make us proud of ourselves and yet still warrant the savior kneeling beside us to tell us the secrets of His heart.
One might say that the secrets of The Heart of God are just that; secret. I would beg to differ. It is in these moments that we are closest to His heart. He has been challenged just as we have been and continue to be. I would wager to believe that it is here that we find our selves more closely knit to The heart of God for He knows it is through these confrontations that we blossom into something greater than ourselves. Here we meet the very DNA that makes us tick the way we do when we are so embedded in Christ and Him crucified. And we are then able to muster the very words that set us free from the beginning... "It is FINISHED!"
Serving people will always take us to dusty patches of seldom traveled road, and grant us access into the lives of whores and all types of belligerent people. Caring about the dust, trying to sweep the streets clean is a task we do good to forget. On this path there are no lanes one can come and go as they please. Yet the bounds of the edge are clear, so to are the lines of comfort that get crossed, wiped away and reset.
Carrying proud the dream/calling/passion and hope that Christ has placed within each is the task that we must desire; for it to be completed. If you have not; seek it and it will be found. Our release from such people and places has been given only on one condition; leave it and let it be. Whether we find ourselves the whore or in the place of Christ forgiving the sins of the ones thrown to our feet. Looking down to the path that got us here and marking a record an ebeneezer if you will, and looking on toward into and through The heart that calls to us will leave us behind at that place as we walk forward in redemption/freedom and purpose with the option of never returning to the place we now walk away from.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The excitement builds...
The timing of the LORD is amazing to me. Each day is known by God and revealed in time. His word declares that He will tell us things before they happen. And I am seeing some of those words come to pass in our ministry right now. We have been blessed to come to a place that has been established for quite some time, but needs a fresh touch and fresh breath from God. Prophetically my wife and daughter and I are part of that new breath. I am not at liberty this very moment to share with you about the details of the season we are in right now, but i can tell you some of the fruit that we are seeing. within the last couple of months we have had a little over a dozen people come and worship with us who have never been to our church before. From that group 4 have come and now call our church home not to mention that they are becoming more and more actively involved in leading us in worship. I just met a couple more tonight that has been through the ringer in life and they are right now finding themselves embraced by God in new ways. They came tonight for the first time and it was a true blessing to see God allover them.
I am glad that I have been taught the value of community and relationships with other people. It is here that we grow and blossom into the beautiful creations that God intended for us to be. It is here that we are able to express ourselves in safe ways and dive in to experience more of God.
yet i also value and treasure the ability and blessing of being alone. Alone with God. To rest. To think. To grow. To listen. He has so much to say. Yet it is so easy to "pray on the run" and miss the heartbeat of God or confuse it for the fast heart beat of ourselves.
As we begin this new year. I wonder who along the readers of this blog will devote sacred and special time to allow a new season to come upon you in your life with Christ. Time set aside for you and Him. And He and you. Allow the excitement of the possibilities and the eagerness of the promises along with the passion of the vision to grow within you so that the next time you meet in a community full of believers that you can dance and whirl about with greater freedom because of what He has shared with you in the secret.
Allow the excitement to build based not on what you see alone, but in the vision that He has given you to meet what you are seeing take place before you. And if you dont have a vision for your life worth looking at that is all the more reason to get alone with God so that He can show you more than you ever dreamed possible.
I am glad that I have been taught the value of community and relationships with other people. It is here that we grow and blossom into the beautiful creations that God intended for us to be. It is here that we are able to express ourselves in safe ways and dive in to experience more of God.
yet i also value and treasure the ability and blessing of being alone. Alone with God. To rest. To think. To grow. To listen. He has so much to say. Yet it is so easy to "pray on the run" and miss the heartbeat of God or confuse it for the fast heart beat of ourselves.
As we begin this new year. I wonder who along the readers of this blog will devote sacred and special time to allow a new season to come upon you in your life with Christ. Time set aside for you and Him. And He and you. Allow the excitement of the possibilities and the eagerness of the promises along with the passion of the vision to grow within you so that the next time you meet in a community full of believers that you can dance and whirl about with greater freedom because of what He has shared with you in the secret.
Allow the excitement to build based not on what you see alone, but in the vision that He has given you to meet what you are seeing take place before you. And if you dont have a vision for your life worth looking at that is all the more reason to get alone with God so that He can show you more than you ever dreamed possible.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Revealed Glory
Habakkuk 2:14 "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."
Wow what a scripture. I enjoy looking through the original texts and seeing the meaning of the words and how often the English translation does little if any justice to the actual implication of the scripture. This is one that does little justice to it. Knowledge here is simple an understanding about something as given through seeing something take place. Glory as stated here is talking about the "kabod" or the weighty presence of God. Literally the heavy presence of God. What a picture this gives us.
I think about it a lot. I love to watch the LORD move. I don't seek the manifestations but I do enjoy seeing them come. I know that according to the word, His word is confirmed by the signs and displays of power as the early church was taught, and some how along the way many of us in our generations were taught to stay away from it, and embrace a powerless religion of form with no inclination of anything beyond the veil. I dont think it to dangerous to look for ministries that display the power of God. I do think it dangerous to seek after the power alone for fear of ending up like Simon the sorcerer.
What would happen if this coming Sunday pastors all over the world would begin to embrace the power of what they profess to be true with their mouths but see no fruit of in their lives? What would Monday morning look like? Oh that a generation would arise from the ashes of denominational lines and theological graveyards and stand as an army of promise and direction beyond the self appointed bounds of men in bonds to fear and unrighteous thinking.
It would have many faces but look like the hand of God. Social justice would become a reality rather than a theory. Healing would become Healed. Freedom would look free. Life would truly be abundant and Christians would finally look like Christ not just a snapshot of one part of Him but finally like the whole.
What do you think? Would your life be different? What would your Monday hold? Tell me... I would like to know.
Wow what a scripture. I enjoy looking through the original texts and seeing the meaning of the words and how often the English translation does little if any justice to the actual implication of the scripture. This is one that does little justice to it. Knowledge here is simple an understanding about something as given through seeing something take place. Glory as stated here is talking about the "kabod" or the weighty presence of God. Literally the heavy presence of God. What a picture this gives us.
I think about it a lot. I love to watch the LORD move. I don't seek the manifestations but I do enjoy seeing them come. I know that according to the word, His word is confirmed by the signs and displays of power as the early church was taught, and some how along the way many of us in our generations were taught to stay away from it, and embrace a powerless religion of form with no inclination of anything beyond the veil. I dont think it to dangerous to look for ministries that display the power of God. I do think it dangerous to seek after the power alone for fear of ending up like Simon the sorcerer.
What would happen if this coming Sunday pastors all over the world would begin to embrace the power of what they profess to be true with their mouths but see no fruit of in their lives? What would Monday morning look like? Oh that a generation would arise from the ashes of denominational lines and theological graveyards and stand as an army of promise and direction beyond the self appointed bounds of men in bonds to fear and unrighteous thinking.
It would have many faces but look like the hand of God. Social justice would become a reality rather than a theory. Healing would become Healed. Freedom would look free. Life would truly be abundant and Christians would finally look like Christ not just a snapshot of one part of Him but finally like the whole.
What do you think? Would your life be different? What would your Monday hold? Tell me... I would like to know.
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