OK it has been awhile since I have posted. Life has been extremely busy with seminary, Kelly going back to school to get her nursing degree, and the business of ministry. This past Sunday was also the first Sunday of Advent. Churches all around taught about hope, and the coming hope of the birth of Christ. I think that this is a very fitting topic for our day. It seems like everything is falling apart around us. A short list of the bad stuff is:
The DOW is plummeting
Everybody is looking for a handout from the Government
Jobs that were lost last month were a lot more than expected
Obama is already going back on campaign promises
People cannot afford Christmas
Local governments are in budget crunches
Man, we can get really depressed think about such things. The real kicker of all this is that it is not just the United States suffering from this. This is a world wide event. I hear of people looking toward the government and the stick market for their hope. Is that were we should place it? So I ask you, where is your hope? People who have peace, real peace find their hope in Christ. Lately I have been watching a lot of Fox News and even they do not paint a pretty picture. There is despair in our world. It says in Matthew 6 that we should seek first God’s righteousness and then He will take care of us. We need to seek to be right with the Lord and He will hold us in the palm of His hands.
I do not know about you, but take comfort in this. I will say that I am human and I have had times of uncertainty and also times when I have put too much trust in the wrong places. But, something draws my attention back to Christ and the important things in life. So, I write this from a place of peace knowing that I have a purpose and a place to focus my trust. Do you have peace?
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Good Song Sillieness
OK, I have been delying posting this. It looks like I will not be (or Dr. Lou) be running for any public office after you see this.
I hope you have a good laugh at this :)
I hope you have a good laugh at this :)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Feeling Small
This past Saturday, a family in our church took us for a fall color tour in Northern Michigan. It has been a long time since I have been on a fall color tour. It was relaxing! It was amazing! We had a wonderful time. An aspect of this day that I really appreciated was the fact that did not have to drive, so I had the chance to sit back and enjoy the ride and the company. As we were riding and seeing all the amazing colors - I thought it me that has been with me for the past several days. I am sooooo small compared to God, and that He is soooo much larger than all (and I mean ALL) our difficulties and problems. He clothed the landscape we saw with Love and He loves us much more than the changing colors. The amazing fact is that He still guides and directs us in the midst of turbulent times. The Bible also tells us that all of creation worships HIM! What an amazing act of worship that we saw this past Saturday...
Saturday, September 27, 2008
I was wrong
OK, when I first listened to Biden at the DMC I thought this guys was pretty good. Well, I was wrong. In fact I think Biden is wrong for the country - he doesn't even know US history and he is a Senator for goodness sake, and people want him to lead us. OK, I will get off my soap box now (LOL - I am a preacher ya know :-D). Take a look at this video - it says it all:
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Top Thrill Dragster
OK, I think I finally figured this out. I was in Cedar Point last Saturday. It was the first time in over 5 years and I was talked into riding this ride. It was the most crazy rollar coaster I have ever riden. I still shake when I think of my expereince. The funny thing is that I will ride this again - if the line is short enough.
B
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Adoption
I want to share this blog. It is one that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Keith and Jen) have created regarding their current adoption process from Russia. You can also find this on my blog roll too.
If you think about it, please pray for them as they take this step of faith. We are all very excited and anticipate the meeting of Alexandra Faith Kneiding.
http://alexandrafaithkneiding.blogspot.com/
If you think about it, please pray for them as they take this step of faith. We are all very excited and anticipate the meeting of Alexandra Faith Kneiding.
http://alexandrafaithkneiding.blogspot.com/
Monday, September 15, 2008
A quick observation
I must tell you that I rarely get tangled up into politics. I think I mentioned that before in another post. But I noticed something about this campaign so far; McCain and Palin (before she went back to Alaska) was always together – with their spouses. I do not see Obama and Biden together, mmmmm makes my eyebrows go up. Last week at ground zero McCain brought his wife and Obama did not, and I thought that this was very interesting.
My person opinion is that McCain is projecting a better front for the voters and Obama is not. There are also rumors that Obama might change is pick for VP. If this is the case – I makes me wonder if his policies and vies will change f he gets elected. It is something to think about and ponder. This is shaping up to be a very interesting race – that is for sure.
My person opinion is that McCain is projecting a better front for the voters and Obama is not. There are also rumors that Obama might change is pick for VP. If this is the case – I makes me wonder if his policies and vies will change f he gets elected. It is something to think about and ponder. This is shaping up to be a very interesting race – that is for sure.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Politics
OK, I usually do not follow politics, but I cannot leave this alone. Some people believe that because I am a pastor – that I am right a right wing Republican. I believe that many people will be very surprised to find out that Jesus is not a right wing Republican either. Here me on this – I am not saying that I am a Democrat either. Now – here is where I want to go. I believe that Obama and McCain where brilliant in their choices in VP. McCain was a genius in the timing of his announcement too. The timing really made Obama’s speech at the DNC forgettable.
This is history in the making and the next 6 months are going to be extremely exciting in this country. I just wish that Biden would run for President and Palin for VP. That is only my opinion though…
This is history in the making and the next 6 months are going to be extremely exciting in this country. I just wish that Biden would run for President and Palin for VP. That is only my opinion though…
Sunday, August 31, 2008
OK - I am kind of getting addicted to Facebook :) I have re-connected with a lot of people in my past and am grateful for that. Now that I have linked the two together, I will need to keep this updated more often. If I do not hear from you here, I hope to see you on Facebook...
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Cool Video
I have been trying to get this video from youtube.com to appear here. Maybe I am just a little slow, but in any case cut and past this into your browser. This made my day when I saw it and I hope it make yours.
Blessings!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA
Blessings!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Montana Chronicles Part 4
“God is drawing a line in the sand. I want to be on your side, Lord, holding your hand” is a lyric that was song in tonight’s worship. Then the challenge went out. Are we going to be on the side of complacency focusing on our own worlds? Or are we going to be on the other side of the line holding God’s hand being and doing something significant for the Kingdom of Heaven. God is calling each of us to be used in a mighty way for the Master, are we going to bow down in obedience, or live our lives on the other side of the line empty and wishing we would follow the Lord?
I do not know about you, but I know what side of the line I desire to be on…
I do not know about you, but I know what side of the line I desire to be on…
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Montana Chronicles Part 3
Chap Clark always “brings it.” There is not one time when I have heard this man speak that the Lord did not move in my heart. The second season was no different. Chap built on what was said in our first session. He took the 4 P’s and boiled them down to three; Possessions, Identity, and Conformity. Possessions have the same meaning as above, identity was the same as personal appearance, and then he combined performance and popularity into conformity. Chap took this one step further to explain that not only do we desire to be popular and that we are on a performance treadmill; but we are forced to live up to other’s expectations even when they are not realistic. A major symptom of these three is that we build walls around our lives and do not let other in.
The challenge for me is when Chap asked this very simple question, “What does God think of me?” In John 4, Jesus has an encounter with the Samaritan women at the well. Jesus invaded her life knowing exactly where to go. Knowing exactly what walls to tear down in this woman’s life, and He does the same to us too. I know I have walls in my life, and if I do not deal with them, Jesus will! In fact Jesus is already dealing with them. The great things is when Jesus invades our stories and deals with our walls, we are not rejected, punished, or even shunned. We have the same reaction as the woman – she goes and tells the whole town about Jesus because she is excited that she does not have to live with those walls in her life anymore.
I am learning that when Jesus invades my life and tears these walls down, I am free to hope again because I do not need to live up to other peoples expectations of me and I do not have to run on the performance treadmill. I can live for Jesus without any hindrances, with a reckless abandon. I am free to hope in a future that He has laid out for me. I am free to love my Savior again without any guilt. I am free.
The challenge for me is when Chap asked this very simple question, “What does God think of me?” In John 4, Jesus has an encounter with the Samaritan women at the well. Jesus invaded her life knowing exactly where to go. Knowing exactly what walls to tear down in this woman’s life, and He does the same to us too. I know I have walls in my life, and if I do not deal with them, Jesus will! In fact Jesus is already dealing with them. The great things is when Jesus invades our stories and deals with our walls, we are not rejected, punished, or even shunned. We have the same reaction as the woman – she goes and tells the whole town about Jesus because she is excited that she does not have to live with those walls in her life anymore.
I am learning that when Jesus invades my life and tears these walls down, I am free to hope again because I do not need to live up to other peoples expectations of me and I do not have to run on the performance treadmill. I can live for Jesus without any hindrances, with a reckless abandon. I am free to hope in a future that He has laid out for me. I am free to love my Savior again without any guilt. I am free.
Montana Chronicles Part 2
Right the Wrong is the theme for this years Convention. Our first speaker, Tiger McLuen, started the Convention on the right note. “Every person doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons” was his theme for the night. He went on to challenge us to not give into the 4 P’s; Personal appearance, Popularity, Performance, and Possessions. These 4 are seen everywhere – including the church. The only difference is that we in the church spiritualize them. I would also add that students are not the only ones who struggle with these. We adults also have to look good, hang in the right crowd at church, boil our walk with Jesus to a performance and even go as far as a competition with other adults (I am more mature than so and so because I do such and such or am in church more often or am in a certain small group), and have the possessions I life (cars, boats, and other toys).
The challenging thing for me was when he said that it is not too late to right the wrongs in life. That you can be the right person doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons with the Lord at the center. Jesus invited the Disciples to have breakfast with Him on the beach after His resurrection. His command was simple – Follow Me! This is true for us today, we just allow these 4 P’s get in the way of following Jesus – I allow these to get in the way.
I also got an implied message as well – I can right the wrong if my walk was not the way it should be. I can forget the past and start to be the right person doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons. It is not too late to make course corrections in my life and to follow Jesus so that I can have life and have it more abundantly.
The challenging thing for me was when he said that it is not too late to right the wrongs in life. That you can be the right person doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons with the Lord at the center. Jesus invited the Disciples to have breakfast with Him on the beach after His resurrection. His command was simple – Follow Me! This is true for us today, we just allow these 4 P’s get in the way of following Jesus – I allow these to get in the way.
I also got an implied message as well – I can right the wrong if my walk was not the way it should be. I can forget the past and start to be the right person doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons. It is not too late to make course corrections in my life and to follow Jesus so that I can have life and have it more abundantly.
Montana Chronicles Part 1
Have you ever entered into a season where you just want to hear God so loudly in your life that you will almost do anything for that to happen? Or you desire the same thing when you have a chance to go on a trip? Well, that is me. I am currently on a Youth Convention trip in Montana right now. We are on the campus of Montana State University. Yesterday when we landed in Billings, we took a day to go to Yellowstone national Park. Now I have been there before and know it is an amazing and beautiful place, so I was somewhat expecting to hear the Lord through His creation.
As we entered the mountains, I sat in my seat waiting for a sing, a voice, something. My prayer was that the Lord guide me, direct me, speak to me, show me something. What I got was something totally different. The Lord did speak to me, but it was not what I was expecting.
Sometimes in our prayers, we want the Lord to answer a specific way, and that is how I entered into my plea. Boy was I wrong. We drove around this bend; there was nothing unusual about it, just a slow mountainous curve in the road. At the time I was getting a little anxious because I didn’t hear God as quickly as I wanted (that is a whole different topic that I need to write about soon). All of a sudden I came to the realization that the Lord has been speaking to me, He has been guiding me, He has been directing me, He has been showing me the way. I didn’t need to be at a specific time and a specific place to Hear the Lord in my life. In that moment, I felt the Peace of God. As I looked out at the mountains, I started to reflect on my relation to the creation of the Universe. I am so small, and He is so majestic. It is a good place to be in when you realize your position as it is compared to the Lord!
Just then, I saw a Bald Eagle perched in a tree looking out over the river, probably looking for lunch. I could not help but remember one of my favorite scripture passages:
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. 29 He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, 31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40: 28-31
WOW! Did the Lord ever speak to me. I enter this Youth trip resting in my position to the Master knowing that He is guiding me in the right direction and that He is speaking to me. What a comfort.
As we entered the mountains, I sat in my seat waiting for a sing, a voice, something. My prayer was that the Lord guide me, direct me, speak to me, show me something. What I got was something totally different. The Lord did speak to me, but it was not what I was expecting.
Sometimes in our prayers, we want the Lord to answer a specific way, and that is how I entered into my plea. Boy was I wrong. We drove around this bend; there was nothing unusual about it, just a slow mountainous curve in the road. At the time I was getting a little anxious because I didn’t hear God as quickly as I wanted (that is a whole different topic that I need to write about soon). All of a sudden I came to the realization that the Lord has been speaking to me, He has been guiding me, He has been directing me, He has been showing me the way. I didn’t need to be at a specific time and a specific place to Hear the Lord in my life. In that moment, I felt the Peace of God. As I looked out at the mountains, I started to reflect on my relation to the creation of the Universe. I am so small, and He is so majestic. It is a good place to be in when you realize your position as it is compared to the Lord!
Just then, I saw a Bald Eagle perched in a tree looking out over the river, probably looking for lunch. I could not help but remember one of my favorite scripture passages:
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding. 29 He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. 30 Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, 31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40: 28-31
WOW! Did the Lord ever speak to me. I enter this Youth trip resting in my position to the Master knowing that He is guiding me in the right direction and that He is speaking to me. What a comfort.
Monday, July 21, 2008
A First
Well, I am entering a first in ministry. My current Senior Pastor has announced that he has accepted a call and will be leaving before October 1, 2008. Right now I have a sea of emotions; excited to see a brother in Christ to follow the Lord at all costs, fear of the unknown for the church I now serve at, excitement for the opportunity the Lord has placed before me, and other emotions that I will not mention here.
My biggest question is – what is God up to? At the very least He will use this to sharpen me as a leader and a learner, which is not all bad. He will also use this to continue to sharpen a pastor who’s sole goal in life is to please the Lord at all costs. I do take refuge in this fact – no matter what happens the Lord has a far greater love for me, this church, and the former pastor that far exceeds the Love I have. That is comforting because He is the one that holds this whole situation in His hands only as a loving father can.
God called each of us on a journey – this is definitely exciting all the way around. What a journey!
My biggest question is – what is God up to? At the very least He will use this to sharpen me as a leader and a learner, which is not all bad. He will also use this to continue to sharpen a pastor who’s sole goal in life is to please the Lord at all costs. I do take refuge in this fact – no matter what happens the Lord has a far greater love for me, this church, and the former pastor that far exceeds the Love I have. That is comforting because He is the one that holds this whole situation in His hands only as a loving father can.
God called each of us on a journey – this is definitely exciting all the way around. What a journey!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Crowd
Last week I had the opportunity to go to a Detroit Tigers baseball game. This was me second game since they opened their new stadium a while back. The last game I went to, there was only about 3000 people in attendance. Needless to say, the Tigers were not doing so well. Last week, there were over 40,000 people at the game. As I watched people (one of my favorite things to do), a though came crashing down on me – Jesus came for all these people, every last one of them. How many know this? How many do not? How many have had bad experiences with churches trying to “convert” them? It was pretty overwhelming to me. Then I asked myself, what is God calling me to do and become? How is he going to use little me? How can I be a representative of God without being over zealous and annoying to people who are far away form God?
As I pondered these questions I kept watching people. My heart enlargened and a deeper burden was developed as people who were in my line of sight were entering into a Christless eternity. Then my thoughts switched to the church. We get so wrapped up with internal affairs, we bicker, complain, and show anything by love and respect to others that we give these same people the best excuse not to join us on the most exciting journey in all of eternity – being a Christ Follower!
Am I still a work in progress – absolutely! My prayer is that I will be a vessel to share the same Love of God that has been shown to me. So, the next time you are in a crowd; whether it be at a sporting event, concert, mall, or even traffic remember and be encouraged;
“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” – Jesus in Matthew 10: 37-38
As I pondered these questions I kept watching people. My heart enlargened and a deeper burden was developed as people who were in my line of sight were entering into a Christless eternity. Then my thoughts switched to the church. We get so wrapped up with internal affairs, we bicker, complain, and show anything by love and respect to others that we give these same people the best excuse not to join us on the most exciting journey in all of eternity – being a Christ Follower!
Am I still a work in progress – absolutely! My prayer is that I will be a vessel to share the same Love of God that has been shown to me. So, the next time you are in a crowd; whether it be at a sporting event, concert, mall, or even traffic remember and be encouraged;
“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” – Jesus in Matthew 10: 37-38
Monday, July 14, 2008
Awhile
Well, it has been awhile since I have posted. Life has been busy, very busy. Through the business, I have been learning some really cool stuff; about myself, life, ministry, and mission. My prayer is that in the Weeks that follow, I carve out the time to share them here. I look forward to the journey with you...
Monday, June 9, 2008
Legacy
Last weekend my father-in-law, Kelly, and I were putting a tire swing in our backyard for Noah and Abigail. Somebody had to climb the tree and get the rope over the branch we wanted the swing from. So I bravely volunteered myself, and started to climb the tree. There is one catch though – as I get older, I am getting more and more fearful of heights. But I pushed through my fear for my children. The tree was a little wet from the rain earlier that day so I put on my tennis shoes thinking I would get a better grip on the tree. About half way up to where I needed to be, I slipped! I grabbed on to a dead branch (bad idea). Well the branch never broke – but I was hugging it as tightly as I could. Now my wonderful wife and father-in-law thought it was pretty funny. In fact they thought I looked like a Kuala Bear hugging a tree branch. We did get the swing hung a different way. But, I was trying to be a hero for my family.
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word hero? Who is the first person you think about? I am amazed at the resurgence of super hero’s in the media of recent days. We have a TV show titled hero’s. In the movies this summer we will find; Ironman, another Batman, and the Incredible Hulk. This is not to mention all the other movies up to this point – Superman, Spiderman, The Fantastic 4, The Incredible’s, and any other’s I have failed to mentioned. Our society is infatuated with these people who are fearless and to stop at nothing to accomplish good.
Deep down, I think we desire to have the same tenacity and boldness we see in these hero’s. We see all these positive traits like strength, intellect (always doing the right thing at the right time – never making the wrong decision), and personal charisma. When we compare ourselves to these hero’s, we see our weaknesses and then we look up to these fictional screen characters. Let me ask you, do you ever feel too weak to do what God is telling you to do? Do you feel like the most unlikely candidate to do anything significant for the Kingdom of God? This type of fear grips every person in this room at one point or another in our lives. We say things like; “I am too old…” or “I am too young…” to accomplish great things for God. Or “What can I really do?” “I really do not have much to offer anyway” Let me ask you this – what do you find the hardest thing about doing what the Lord desires of you? These are all tough questions that we all ask ourselves. If that is you, right now, today – I say great! Why? Because that is a great spot to be in; God loves to work in and through people who are in that spot. God is a master in using ordinary people in extraordinary ways. You see, those who think that they have arrived and have all the answers, those who think that they can do everything, are always to busy listening to themselves, to even hear what God has to say. God is looking for men and women of faith, who are willing to step out and do great things for Him in unknown times. As you senior go to college – there will be a lot of unknowns in the next 6 months. God is looking for people like you to do extraordinary things for Him. God is looking for hero’s.
There is a hero’s of the Old Testament that we can really relate to today regarding our fears. He ended up doing great things for God – he became a hero.
Now right before our hero comes to the scene life was good for Israel. In fact life was great… God was blessing (the bills were paid, the kids were behaving, the camels were not in the shop, they just graduated high school, and the birds were singing). Then the people turned away for God. They started to accomplish things using their own abilities. They thought that they arrived, and did not need the Lord anymore. They were doing pretty good on their own. Before long – life began to stink. Not one enemy – but several, came in and began to oppress them and take all their processions, crops, livestock, everything. Now life began to get really hard. So what did Israel do? You guessed it – cried out to God to help them. This is were our hero comes in.
We find our hero full of fear, excuses, and hiding. (Read Judges 6: 11-16).
Now I am not going to read the whole account of Gideon, but I challenge you to take time this week to read Judges Chapters 6-8 and allow the Lord to penetrate your heart.
Now chapter 6 opens up with Israel suffering a 7 year oppression at the hands of the Midianites. Now the Midianites were a cruel and powerful people. Every year at harvest time they would come sweeping into Israel with a powerful army. Scripture says that like a locust plague they would strip the land, stealing all the grain and destroying the crops. Verse 4 says “they left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey.” Every year was it was the same routine – invasion, run and hide in the caves and mountains and have no food.
When we first meet Gideon, he was hiding in the wine press. It was harvest time again and Israel knew it was only a matter of days before the Midianites would come swarming in. Therefore, Gideon was in a wine press threshing wheat. The wine press at this time was carved out of stone and usually underground. Normally 2 cistern areas were carved out, with one slightly lower than the other. The upper area is where a man would tread out the grapes and as the liquid rose to a certain height it would drain down into the lower vat where the wine would be stored. Many of these were large enough for a man to hide in, and Gideon was probably down in the lower vat hiding, hitting the wheat with a stick while he covered the upper opening with perhaps some brush. He did this so that the Midianites would not find him and take his food.
And this is where the Lord finds Gideon. But before God could really use Gideon as a hero, He had to some serious business with Him.
First, God shows Gideon His plan and eliminates Gideon’s excuses. Verse 15 Gideon gives an excuse to be used be God, “my family is the weakest, and I am the youngest.” Look at God response in Verse 16 says, “I will be with you.” Very simple but think about it. The creator of the universe says, “Move forward, I’ve got your back… I will be with you.” – no matter what your excuse is.
Secondly, God has Gideon eliminate the idols in his life. The things that were drawing not only Gideon’s heart away from God, but the whole nations. (Read Judges 6: 25-27).
Now God is looking at us and telling us the same thing, “I will be with you” and commanding us to tear down the alters in our lives. Do you want to be used by God for something awesome? Give all you affection to Christ and He will be with us. You see, faith is not measured by our fearlessness, but by our obedience. Gideon was obedient. What happened was that Gideon ended up routing the Medianites and Amalekites with only 300 men. Gideon started by hiding and ended being bold and tenacious. What are the idols in your heart? What is God telling you to do? And are you trying to accomplish the task before you in your own power?
God is looking for modern day Gideon’s right now. Are you one? What type of legacy are you going to leave on this planet? I am always intrigued by tombstones. They have a birth date and a date of death. In between these is a dash. It is in this dash that lies your legacy. What is your dash going to say about you? He doesn’t call those who are perfect; Christ calls those who are willing. We all have the potential of becoming a hero of the faith. The next time you think God cannot use you, I want you to remember something:
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
Mary Magdalene was, well you know
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer.
Lazarus was dead!
And Gideon was afraid.
What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word hero? Who is the first person you think about? I am amazed at the resurgence of super hero’s in the media of recent days. We have a TV show titled hero’s. In the movies this summer we will find; Ironman, another Batman, and the Incredible Hulk. This is not to mention all the other movies up to this point – Superman, Spiderman, The Fantastic 4, The Incredible’s, and any other’s I have failed to mentioned. Our society is infatuated with these people who are fearless and to stop at nothing to accomplish good.
Deep down, I think we desire to have the same tenacity and boldness we see in these hero’s. We see all these positive traits like strength, intellect (always doing the right thing at the right time – never making the wrong decision), and personal charisma. When we compare ourselves to these hero’s, we see our weaknesses and then we look up to these fictional screen characters. Let me ask you, do you ever feel too weak to do what God is telling you to do? Do you feel like the most unlikely candidate to do anything significant for the Kingdom of God? This type of fear grips every person in this room at one point or another in our lives. We say things like; “I am too old…” or “I am too young…” to accomplish great things for God. Or “What can I really do?” “I really do not have much to offer anyway” Let me ask you this – what do you find the hardest thing about doing what the Lord desires of you? These are all tough questions that we all ask ourselves. If that is you, right now, today – I say great! Why? Because that is a great spot to be in; God loves to work in and through people who are in that spot. God is a master in using ordinary people in extraordinary ways. You see, those who think that they have arrived and have all the answers, those who think that they can do everything, are always to busy listening to themselves, to even hear what God has to say. God is looking for men and women of faith, who are willing to step out and do great things for Him in unknown times. As you senior go to college – there will be a lot of unknowns in the next 6 months. God is looking for people like you to do extraordinary things for Him. God is looking for hero’s.
There is a hero’s of the Old Testament that we can really relate to today regarding our fears. He ended up doing great things for God – he became a hero.
Now right before our hero comes to the scene life was good for Israel. In fact life was great… God was blessing (the bills were paid, the kids were behaving, the camels were not in the shop, they just graduated high school, and the birds were singing). Then the people turned away for God. They started to accomplish things using their own abilities. They thought that they arrived, and did not need the Lord anymore. They were doing pretty good on their own. Before long – life began to stink. Not one enemy – but several, came in and began to oppress them and take all their processions, crops, livestock, everything. Now life began to get really hard. So what did Israel do? You guessed it – cried out to God to help them. This is were our hero comes in.
We find our hero full of fear, excuses, and hiding. (Read Judges 6: 11-16).
Now I am not going to read the whole account of Gideon, but I challenge you to take time this week to read Judges Chapters 6-8 and allow the Lord to penetrate your heart.
Now chapter 6 opens up with Israel suffering a 7 year oppression at the hands of the Midianites. Now the Midianites were a cruel and powerful people. Every year at harvest time they would come sweeping into Israel with a powerful army. Scripture says that like a locust plague they would strip the land, stealing all the grain and destroying the crops. Verse 4 says “they left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey.” Every year was it was the same routine – invasion, run and hide in the caves and mountains and have no food.
When we first meet Gideon, he was hiding in the wine press. It was harvest time again and Israel knew it was only a matter of days before the Midianites would come swarming in. Therefore, Gideon was in a wine press threshing wheat. The wine press at this time was carved out of stone and usually underground. Normally 2 cistern areas were carved out, with one slightly lower than the other. The upper area is where a man would tread out the grapes and as the liquid rose to a certain height it would drain down into the lower vat where the wine would be stored. Many of these were large enough for a man to hide in, and Gideon was probably down in the lower vat hiding, hitting the wheat with a stick while he covered the upper opening with perhaps some brush. He did this so that the Midianites would not find him and take his food.
And this is where the Lord finds Gideon. But before God could really use Gideon as a hero, He had to some serious business with Him.
First, God shows Gideon His plan and eliminates Gideon’s excuses. Verse 15 Gideon gives an excuse to be used be God, “my family is the weakest, and I am the youngest.” Look at God response in Verse 16 says, “I will be with you.” Very simple but think about it. The creator of the universe says, “Move forward, I’ve got your back… I will be with you.” – no matter what your excuse is.
Secondly, God has Gideon eliminate the idols in his life. The things that were drawing not only Gideon’s heart away from God, but the whole nations. (Read Judges 6: 25-27).
Now God is looking at us and telling us the same thing, “I will be with you” and commanding us to tear down the alters in our lives. Do you want to be used by God for something awesome? Give all you affection to Christ and He will be with us. You see, faith is not measured by our fearlessness, but by our obedience. Gideon was obedient. What happened was that Gideon ended up routing the Medianites and Amalekites with only 300 men. Gideon started by hiding and ended being bold and tenacious. What are the idols in your heart? What is God telling you to do? And are you trying to accomplish the task before you in your own power?
God is looking for modern day Gideon’s right now. Are you one? What type of legacy are you going to leave on this planet? I am always intrigued by tombstones. They have a birth date and a date of death. In between these is a dash. It is in this dash that lies your legacy. What is your dash going to say about you? He doesn’t call those who are perfect; Christ calls those who are willing. We all have the potential of becoming a hero of the faith. The next time you think God cannot use you, I want you to remember something:
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
Mary Magdalene was, well you know
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer.
Lazarus was dead!
And Gideon was afraid.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Relax
I have started to play golf again in recent weeks. It has been a solid 4 years since I have played and this time is very different – I am actually keeping score! When I played several years ago, I always kept score by how many balls I lost and how many I found. If I finished a round with more balls than I started with, then I won. If I finished with less, then it was not a good round. So this time I am keeping score on the score card.
I have often heard people say the golf is relaxing. I have also heard just as many people say that this game adds more stress into their lives. The other day when I started, I was stressed out. It did add more anxiety into my life. I was thinking, “Why in the word am I doing this?” Also, “why am I paying somebody to add this much stress?” I could not hit the ball if my life depended on it. I even lost a ball on the first tee! Then I learned something about this game. I needed to relax! I need to force myself to relax! I needed to have patience. The funny thing is when I forced myself to relax; I started to hit the ball further and straighter. I started to have fun. The amazing thing is that others around me started to have fun too. My stress of the game effected others who I was golfing with not to have as much fun.
In the bible Jesus asks the question, “Can anybody add one moment to his life-span by worrying?” (Matthew 6: 27 HCSB). This passage goes on to say that seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness then He will provide for our needs. If we stop worrying and relax, seeking the Master, then we can start to hit the balls of life straighter and further. Then, we can really start to have fun and enjoy this journey of life that the Lord has placed us.
I have often heard people say the golf is relaxing. I have also heard just as many people say that this game adds more stress into their lives. The other day when I started, I was stressed out. It did add more anxiety into my life. I was thinking, “Why in the word am I doing this?” Also, “why am I paying somebody to add this much stress?” I could not hit the ball if my life depended on it. I even lost a ball on the first tee! Then I learned something about this game. I needed to relax! I need to force myself to relax! I needed to have patience. The funny thing is when I forced myself to relax; I started to hit the ball further and straighter. I started to have fun. The amazing thing is that others around me started to have fun too. My stress of the game effected others who I was golfing with not to have as much fun.
In the bible Jesus asks the question, “Can anybody add one moment to his life-span by worrying?” (Matthew 6: 27 HCSB). This passage goes on to say that seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness then He will provide for our needs. If we stop worrying and relax, seeking the Master, then we can start to hit the balls of life straighter and further. Then, we can really start to have fun and enjoy this journey of life that the Lord has placed us.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Settling Down
Well, it has been too long. Life has been good though. Life is starting to settle down a bit, still busy, but settling down. We are now in our new house and still have several boxes to unpack. We are more focused on Kingdom work now more than ever. We still have stress, but is in unlike the stress of having rent and a house payment.
Looking back, I have a new found appreciation for people who do anything to make ends meet and to supply the needs for their families. I am also coming to the conclusion that life is meant to live as an adventure with our eyes fixed on Jesus. Getting back into the groove of life, lessons will continue to be learned, Jesus is still on the throne, all while things are settling down. Till next time…
Looking back, I have a new found appreciation for people who do anything to make ends meet and to supply the needs for their families. I am also coming to the conclusion that life is meant to live as an adventure with our eyes fixed on Jesus. Getting back into the groove of life, lessons will continue to be learned, Jesus is still on the throne, all while things are settling down. Till next time…
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Faithfulness
In August of 2007 I was let go from my previous ministry position due to financial strain on the budget. This really sent Kelly, the kids, and I into a real tailspin of a ride since then. We moved back to Michigan in October and lived with Kelly’s brother for a month. Then we moved into a house owned by some people who were on a short term mission trip in Mississippi for a month. Then, you guessed it, we moved again and this time into a rental house. This was going to be somewhat temporary because we still needed to sell a house in Virginia. Through this whole ordeal, several people were Jesus with skin on toward us during this difficult time; my wife’s brother and family who opened their home to us and our dog (that made 4 adults, 5 children under the age of 6, and 2 dogs under the same roof), complete strangers to us allowed us to stay in their home while they were away, and the people of Cadillac Christian Reformed Church who came along side us and helped pay some of rent to relieve some financial pressure.
We did sell our house in Virginia in January of 2008. Things looked up for us, so we thought. Around every corner, there was a challenge to get this house closed and also some financial pressures we were feeling here as we were still paying a mortgage and rent. So after almost 2 months of challenges that led right up until closing, we finally closed on our house.
During this time, my wife and I were asking God – WHY? As the bills mounted and the bank account dwindling – why? As the challenges of selling a house were magnified – why? As our 3 ½ year old son was asking for a toy we could not get him – why? Why? Because during this time it forced us to focus on the blessings in life, to be thankful for what we do have and to be joyous because we have people in our life that love us very much. God never allowed our children and us to go hungry, we always had shelter and food.
Now in the last week, we really experienced the blessings of God. We got back money from our house in Virginia that we never anticipated getting back. The faithfulness of God in this was that is was enough to cover any debt we accumulated in the last 7 months during this ordeal. We did close on a house here in Michigan yesterday and we thought we would need to bring a significant amount of money to closing. Well, that never materialized and we ended up getting money back from that closing too.
As we come out the other end of a difficult time in our life (the most difficult time I have ever had to go through), there are some lessons we are taking. One is that the Lord uses situations like this to develop character. Now, I am a real character J. Seriously, we have more faith in Christ and know that He is going to be with us no matter what in life. Second is that we came to realize what we really need to focus on in this life, the people around us. I am amazed that God took away money to help us focus on relationships. Third, during this ordeal someone that was helping us told me that they did not want any type of payback, that we are now responsible to pay it forward to somebody else that may need any type of help. My wife and I can honestly say that our hearts are enlarged by this generosity and have determined to be better stewards of what God has given us. Lastly, I would say that I have learned that there are many opportunities to serve Christ in the world. Doors seem to open for us in ways that I could not have imagined a year ago. Only time will tell to see how God is going to us these in the future.
The future is exciting for us! As we celebrate Holy Week this year, Christ’s sacrifice, grace, and love have given us a renewed hope. Easter 2008 will forever hold a special place in our hearts as we get settled into our new home here in Cadillac Michigan and into a new church family. We will anticipate in faith more amazing wonders from the Creator of the Universe!
We did sell our house in Virginia in January of 2008. Things looked up for us, so we thought. Around every corner, there was a challenge to get this house closed and also some financial pressures we were feeling here as we were still paying a mortgage and rent. So after almost 2 months of challenges that led right up until closing, we finally closed on our house.
During this time, my wife and I were asking God – WHY? As the bills mounted and the bank account dwindling – why? As the challenges of selling a house were magnified – why? As our 3 ½ year old son was asking for a toy we could not get him – why? Why? Because during this time it forced us to focus on the blessings in life, to be thankful for what we do have and to be joyous because we have people in our life that love us very much. God never allowed our children and us to go hungry, we always had shelter and food.
Now in the last week, we really experienced the blessings of God. We got back money from our house in Virginia that we never anticipated getting back. The faithfulness of God in this was that is was enough to cover any debt we accumulated in the last 7 months during this ordeal. We did close on a house here in Michigan yesterday and we thought we would need to bring a significant amount of money to closing. Well, that never materialized and we ended up getting money back from that closing too.
As we come out the other end of a difficult time in our life (the most difficult time I have ever had to go through), there are some lessons we are taking. One is that the Lord uses situations like this to develop character. Now, I am a real character J. Seriously, we have more faith in Christ and know that He is going to be with us no matter what in life. Second is that we came to realize what we really need to focus on in this life, the people around us. I am amazed that God took away money to help us focus on relationships. Third, during this ordeal someone that was helping us told me that they did not want any type of payback, that we are now responsible to pay it forward to somebody else that may need any type of help. My wife and I can honestly say that our hearts are enlarged by this generosity and have determined to be better stewards of what God has given us. Lastly, I would say that I have learned that there are many opportunities to serve Christ in the world. Doors seem to open for us in ways that I could not have imagined a year ago. Only time will tell to see how God is going to us these in the future.
The future is exciting for us! As we celebrate Holy Week this year, Christ’s sacrifice, grace, and love have given us a renewed hope. Easter 2008 will forever hold a special place in our hearts as we get settled into our new home here in Cadillac Michigan and into a new church family. We will anticipate in faith more amazing wonders from the Creator of the Universe!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
SOLD!!
It only took 6 months , but we have an offer on our house in VA. Our expected closing date is February 15, 2008. WOW, what a ride! We are sooooo thankful that we can now move on in our lives. The Virginia chapter can be closed for good in just a few short weeks.
This was a huge test of faith for us. At times we were very angry with God and had so many question of why this is happening to us. A lot of people said that the Lord will show up in time, He is never late. I knew this to be true, but one look at our checkbook – wellllllllll we thought He was late. Looking at this from another vantage point and still being in the middle of it, we can say that He did show up in time that He was not late.
As we look back at this whole situation surrounding the sale of our house and why we had to sell it, we know that there is going to be lessons that will peer out for years to come. It was painful going through a situation where our friends (for the lack of better terms – they were leaders of a faith community and did not treat us as friends) lacked the faith to trust God with their finances and placed me and my family in a tough situation. Now the positive, which completely outweighs what has been done to us because it is what He has done for us; we are in a healthier situation, our faith grew, we are closer to family, and we have more of a solid direction for the future. Praise God for how He works no matter how it plays out!
This was a huge test of faith for us. At times we were very angry with God and had so many question of why this is happening to us. A lot of people said that the Lord will show up in time, He is never late. I knew this to be true, but one look at our checkbook – wellllllllll we thought He was late. Looking at this from another vantage point and still being in the middle of it, we can say that He did show up in time that He was not late.
As we look back at this whole situation surrounding the sale of our house and why we had to sell it, we know that there is going to be lessons that will peer out for years to come. It was painful going through a situation where our friends (for the lack of better terms – they were leaders of a faith community and did not treat us as friends) lacked the faith to trust God with their finances and placed me and my family in a tough situation. Now the positive, which completely outweighs what has been done to us because it is what He has done for us; we are in a healthier situation, our faith grew, we are closer to family, and we have more of a solid direction for the future. Praise God for how He works no matter how it plays out!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
They Like Jesus
I was very reluctant to read this book. The reason being is that Kimball’s other tow books left me with more disagreements than agreements. I was so surprised by this book. It is a book that I will be referring to in years to come. I loved how Kimball challenged the leaders to be missionaries, something that has been on my heart for years now. The amazing thing is that I can know pick up his other two books and probably find more agreements. “They Like Jesus” really communicates Kimball’s heart and so you can take his other books and process them clearly and with a more open heart. Maybe it is that I have grown a little too since the time I read his other books.
Anyway, I believe that the hot topic that this book addresses and the church, in general, will need to address is women in leadership. I believe that this presidential election will have the deep ramifications on the church. I have a feeling that the next president will be a Democrat. I also believe that Hilary Clinton has a strong chance at it. Now I say this not knowing who I will vote for yet. I still have to complete my own research on the candidates. But, if Clinton does win the presidency, this will force the church to re-think the issue of women in leadership. If the church, in general, remains dogmatic about not having women in key leadership roles, then those churches will dye a slow death (my opinion). I am not saying that the pastors are men and then women can be “directors” of ministries. This is a side step of the issue that people outside the church can see right through. If a woman can run the country, why can’t a woman be a leader of a church? That will be a question that many outside the church will ask the church. Now, I understand that there are churches that have women pastors and elders. I am not thinking about these churches. I am talking about the churches who are still passionate and dogmatic about this issue.
This issue just stood out to me the most of all the issues Kimball wrote about. All the other issues are valid and the church needs to think, pray, and have tough conversations to become more effective in ministry. I would say that this is a must read for any church leader who is serious about being used by Christ.
Anyway, I believe that the hot topic that this book addresses and the church, in general, will need to address is women in leadership. I believe that this presidential election will have the deep ramifications on the church. I have a feeling that the next president will be a Democrat. I also believe that Hilary Clinton has a strong chance at it. Now I say this not knowing who I will vote for yet. I still have to complete my own research on the candidates. But, if Clinton does win the presidency, this will force the church to re-think the issue of women in leadership. If the church, in general, remains dogmatic about not having women in key leadership roles, then those churches will dye a slow death (my opinion). I am not saying that the pastors are men and then women can be “directors” of ministries. This is a side step of the issue that people outside the church can see right through. If a woman can run the country, why can’t a woman be a leader of a church? That will be a question that many outside the church will ask the church. Now, I understand that there are churches that have women pastors and elders. I am not thinking about these churches. I am talking about the churches who are still passionate and dogmatic about this issue.
This issue just stood out to me the most of all the issues Kimball wrote about. All the other issues are valid and the church needs to think, pray, and have tough conversations to become more effective in ministry. I would say that this is a must read for any church leader who is serious about being used by Christ.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
True forgiveness
We have all had people in our life that has beat us down, placed unrealistic expectations on us, and have sinned against us. But what do we do with that? It has been a hard journey for me but I have learned the true meaning of forgiveness. Sure I can say that I forgive people and still harbor resentment, bitterness, anger, and even rage. The true measure of forgiveness is found in what Christ did for us and remembering what we were forgiven from. I can look at my life and say that I was really forgiven much and I am truly grateful for that. The secret in true forgiveness is remembering what we were forgiven from and what Christ did for us and then project that to others who have sinned against us. I have learned when I do this simple thing; anger is dislodged from my heart, bitterness is subsided, resentment retreats, and resentment melts away. In a way I will always remember what others have done to me, but then I remember what Christ did for me. I can tell you from experience that thinking this way and remembering my salvation is freeing and I am starting to see the effects of this freedom is the relationships that are closest to me. I am truly thankful for forgiveness.
Ephesians 4: 32 “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”
Ephesians 4: 32 “And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”
Friday, January 4, 2008
Why Can I Not Follow You Now?
I read this this morning and it really spoke to me. It comes from "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
"Peter said to Him, 'Lord why can i not follow you now?'" John 13: 37
There are times when you can’t understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don’t fill it with busyness, just wait. The time of waiting may come to teach you the meaning of sanctification— to be set apart from sin and made holy— or it may come after the process of sanctification has begun to teach you what service means. Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt— wait.
At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, or something else you feel is distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for God’s timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.
Peter did not wait for God. He predicted in his own mind where the test would come, and it came where he did not expect it. "I will lay down my life for Your sake." Peter’s statement was honest but ignorant. "Jesus answered him, ’ . . . the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times’ " (John 13:38). This was said with a deeper knowledge of Peter than Peter had of himself. He could not follow Jesus because he did not know himself or his own capabilities well enough. Natural devotion may be enough to attract us to Jesus, to make us feel His irresistible charm, but it will never make us disciples. Natural devotion will deny Jesus, always falling short of what it means to truly follow Him.
"Peter said to Him, 'Lord why can i not follow you now?'" John 13: 37
There are times when you can’t understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don’t fill it with busyness, just wait. The time of waiting may come to teach you the meaning of sanctification— to be set apart from sin and made holy— or it may come after the process of sanctification has begun to teach you what service means. Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt— wait.
At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, or something else you feel is distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for God’s timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.
Peter did not wait for God. He predicted in his own mind where the test would come, and it came where he did not expect it. "I will lay down my life for Your sake." Peter’s statement was honest but ignorant. "Jesus answered him, ’ . . . the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times’ " (John 13:38). This was said with a deeper knowledge of Peter than Peter had of himself. He could not follow Jesus because he did not know himself or his own capabilities well enough. Natural devotion may be enough to attract us to Jesus, to make us feel His irresistible charm, but it will never make us disciples. Natural devotion will deny Jesus, always falling short of what it means to truly follow Him.
A 2007 Reflection
As we start another year, I want to take a moment to reflect on 2007. What a year it was! We experienced mountain tops and valleys. It seems that the mountain tops were extremely high and then the valleys were extremely low.
On April 16 as the world watched the shootings taking place at Virginia Tech, Kelly, our families and I were celebrating the birth on Abigail Rose. What a blessing and a mountain top! She has definitely brought joy to our whole family.
Shortly after the birth of Abigail, I was fired from my job as the Family Ministries Pastor due to a financial crunch at the church we were serving. This was a definite low not only for the year but also for our career in ministry. We know that the Lord never wastes an experience and as I look back on the ripple effect of this, I see it as a blessing in disguise.
1. We are now closer to family
2. We are now in an authentic church that protects their pastors
3. I have learned the true meaning of forgiveness (I will be posting my thoughts on this in he near future).
4. The Lord continues to teach me about what kind of leader, Shepard, teacher, and pastor He desires me to be and become.
5. Along with that, the Lord is also teaching me what kind of leader He does not want me to become.
It was a year of high highs and low lows for us. We are still climbing out of the valley as we enter into 2008. But, we have faith that as we continue to strive after the Lord, we will continue to prove Himself faithful and true.
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