After Northern Iowa’s win and Kansas’ loss I am sure not looking at March Madness on CBS. In my opinion there is no point. I AM a Kansas alum and a BASKETBALL fan. My dream is to go to the final four one time. Just now, Brother Jeff stopped by to offer his condolences for my Jayhawks. That was nice! So, all that said I am not watching the tournament as closely as I might. You know rescheduling my life to see certain games and teams. The question is what am I looking at?
Tuesday night during our Crossroads 2 Recovery time specifically in the group for those who live with people with addictions etc. a statement was made that to survive we must turn our gaze from the addict and onto ourselves. We must look now to our own health and recovery and not to “the problem.” For the co-dependent the focus away from oneself is consuming their lives slowly suffocating their very existence.
I have been considering that although that is helpful as a first step a first move it will not resolve and begin to heal us. Because I know I am messed up anyway. To look at me as a goal a standard to aspire to is to aim pretty low. If I then miss short I am lower than the low. If that is so and it is what do I look at? Jesus!
This Jesus who is wholeness and holiness, perfection and peace, completeness and constant, resurrection and redemption, life and the light for all men, let’s look at HIM. Aim high, shoot for the stars. Aim for the best. Look where we want to hit and continue to fix our gaze upon perfection. If we miss then we have missed in the right direction. It is so easy to become distracted with politics, calamity, catastrophe, school, work, relationships and life in general. Those all seem so important. Are they worthy goals? In the short term yes, but what about long term?
This Palm Sunday we are reminded that those in Jerusalem were looking at their future King. In their eyes he was their new King on Earth. On Easter Sunday we have the opportunity to look on our Eternal King from Heaven. As this Easter season continues with Spring Break and egg hunts let’s consider what’s in our eyes. Has our attention been caught by the best of the immediate?
What am I looking at?
Friday, March 26, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
I'd never thought about this!
James Bryan Smith in his book The Good and Beautiful God writes,
"Thus we can control how God feels about us by doing those things on the list and avoiding sin. This is legalism, the attempt to earn God's love though our actions, to earn God's favor or avoid God's curses through pious activities. In the end, legalism is superstition...But God's favor is not earned by what we do any more than good luck is found in a rabbit's foot."
Wow legalism is superstition.
What do you think?
"Thus we can control how God feels about us by doing those things on the list and avoiding sin. This is legalism, the attempt to earn God's love though our actions, to earn God's favor or avoid God's curses through pious activities. In the end, legalism is superstition...But God's favor is not earned by what we do any more than good luck is found in a rabbit's foot."
Wow legalism is superstition.
What do you think?
What does God want?
In my git-er-done mind, I think God wants my service. The more I do the more He will want me (insert love me) or the more I will merit His love and grace. Even though I say God loves me period. I often exhibit a behavior more like the former belief than the latter. In truth, God wants ME.
He doesn't need me. He wants me. He is quit capable on His own. He's been doing it for a while (since time began) so he has a handle on how it all works. What he really wants is for me to hang-out for a while. To relate to Him and His own. There are all of those supper examples of Jesus eating with folks. Not after they believed Him before and during. He seems to really enjoy being wiht sinners! Jesus likes messed up people. No, Jesus loves messed up people. Even messed up self-righteous people who think their stuff don't stink (it does)! Yep Jesus love THOSE kind too. Me, he loves me and wants to spend time with me.
My git-er-done mind needs to git gone so we can hang. Hang together not doing nothin' just being. Loving Him because of who he is and not what he's done. James Bryan Smith in his book The Good and Beautiful God quotes Love (III) by George Herbert a seventeenth-century poastor. The last two lines are as follows (brackets are mine):
"You must sit down," says Love [insert God], "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.
Meals are fun, joyous, hilarious times at my house.
How is it that I never thought about a meal with Jesus?
He doesn't need me. He wants me. He is quit capable on His own. He's been doing it for a while (since time began) so he has a handle on how it all works. What he really wants is for me to hang-out for a while. To relate to Him and His own. There are all of those supper examples of Jesus eating with folks. Not after they believed Him before and during. He seems to really enjoy being wiht sinners! Jesus likes messed up people. No, Jesus loves messed up people. Even messed up self-righteous people who think their stuff don't stink (it does)! Yep Jesus love THOSE kind too. Me, he loves me and wants to spend time with me.
My git-er-done mind needs to git gone so we can hang. Hang together not doing nothin' just being. Loving Him because of who he is and not what he's done. James Bryan Smith in his book The Good and Beautiful God quotes Love (III) by George Herbert a seventeenth-century poastor. The last two lines are as follows (brackets are mine):
"You must sit down," says Love [insert God], "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.
Meals are fun, joyous, hilarious times at my house.
How is it that I never thought about a meal with Jesus?
Friday, March 19, 2010
A new Idea from an old example...
I started reading a new book this week…the book is titled The Good and Beautiful God written by James Bryan Smith. The focus of the book is to look at the God Jesus revealed as a person and as a teacher and compare that to the image of God we often have set in our mind and visible in our actions. The two are not similar most times. In the third chapter God is trustworthy James Bryan Smith surprised me with his use of a classic teaching of Jesus. The example reveals who the Father is by asking for specific actions from Him. The example is the Lord’s Prayer.
Jesus begins by addressing God as “Father.” For many people it is hard for them to consider God as Father because they had a hard, abusive or absent earthly father. In their mind God cannot be like that. In fact God is not but their image of God is so shaped by the image of their earthly father that their heavenly Father is obscured from their vision. This prayer defines the fatherhood of God.
1. We learn God is near: “Our Father in heaven.” In Jewish cosmology, Smith writes, heaven referred to a surrounding atmosphere. Jesus said “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” right around is within our grasp.
2. We learn that God is holy: “Hallowed be your name.” Holiness is purity. God is good, pure without sin.
3. We learn God is King who rules heaven: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Kings have power and God is powerful.
4. We learn God cares for us: “Give us… our daily bread.” God provides for us.
5. God forgives our trespasses: “And forgive us our debts…” God our Father pardons us.
6. We learn God rescues us: “And do not bring us to this trial, but rescue us from the evil one.” He is better than the Coast Guard. Is powerful, ready, present, willing and able to reach out and pull us up out of the waters of sin. God longs to protect us.
In a summary Smith reveals these six characteristics of the Fatherhood of God. God is: nearby, holy, powerful, caring, forgiving and our protector. Those are clear and strong attributes of the God Jesus knew. Are those the attributes of the image of the God you know?
Our image of God is not correct. Fatherhood in fact parenthood is defined by God and His character not by the examples we see, live and experience. Our image for God is usually defined by our internal image of a parent. We live in a fallen world where everyone and everything is affected by the fallen image of sin including our concept of God. This example surprised me.
I am surprised by the richness of Jesus teaching and my own limited concept of exactly what Jesus was revealing. He always reveals more than at first glance.
Do you believe that? I ask you what do you believe about God that is or is not true of the God Jesus perfectly revealed.
Jesus begins by addressing God as “Father.” For many people it is hard for them to consider God as Father because they had a hard, abusive or absent earthly father. In their mind God cannot be like that. In fact God is not but their image of God is so shaped by the image of their earthly father that their heavenly Father is obscured from their vision. This prayer defines the fatherhood of God.
1. We learn God is near: “Our Father in heaven.” In Jewish cosmology, Smith writes, heaven referred to a surrounding atmosphere. Jesus said “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” right around is within our grasp.
2. We learn that God is holy: “Hallowed be your name.” Holiness is purity. God is good, pure without sin.
3. We learn God is King who rules heaven: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Kings have power and God is powerful.
4. We learn God cares for us: “Give us… our daily bread.” God provides for us.
5. God forgives our trespasses: “And forgive us our debts…” God our Father pardons us.
6. We learn God rescues us: “And do not bring us to this trial, but rescue us from the evil one.” He is better than the Coast Guard. Is powerful, ready, present, willing and able to reach out and pull us up out of the waters of sin. God longs to protect us.
In a summary Smith reveals these six characteristics of the Fatherhood of God. God is: nearby, holy, powerful, caring, forgiving and our protector. Those are clear and strong attributes of the God Jesus knew. Are those the attributes of the image of the God you know?
Our image of God is not correct. Fatherhood in fact parenthood is defined by God and His character not by the examples we see, live and experience. Our image for God is usually defined by our internal image of a parent. We live in a fallen world where everyone and everything is affected by the fallen image of sin including our concept of God. This example surprised me.
I am surprised by the richness of Jesus teaching and my own limited concept of exactly what Jesus was revealing. He always reveals more than at first glance.
Do you believe that? I ask you what do you believe about God that is or is not true of the God Jesus perfectly revealed.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
A Quote I read...
“I heard a friend preach recently, ‘The lowest level of Christianity is to be blessed – it’s what you do with it that makes it valuable.’ Every blessing is for a purpose, as we are blessed to be a blessing. There is a great responsibility attached to prosperity at any level…for the sake of the broken, the one’s with no voice…bring it on!!!” Darlene Zschech.
Darlene Zschech is the woman God is using as a musical pastor of the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. A gifted singer songwriter particularly worship music, she has a heart for Christ and His church.
What do you think of her words?
Is being blessed the lowest level of Christianity?
What would be upper levels?
Let me know!
Darlene Zschech is the woman God is using as a musical pastor of the Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. A gifted singer songwriter particularly worship music, she has a heart for Christ and His church.
What do you think of her words?
Is being blessed the lowest level of Christianity?
What would be upper levels?
Let me know!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Praying the Psalms
In the introduction to the Psalms, Eugene Peterson translator of the The Message speaks of the Psalms as opportunities to pray. Not prayer of flowery poetic language but word of heart-felt, gut-wrenching passion. So, I have begun to read and pray in that perspective. I discovered these words the other day. What a prayer to start the day!
"Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
God, Priest-of-My-Altar."
Psalm 19:12-14 The Message
"Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
God, Priest-of-My-Altar."
Psalm 19:12-14 The Message
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
This caught my eye Monday...
Psalm 15 (The Message)
A David Psalm
1 God, who gets invited to dinner at your place?
How do we get on your guest list?
2 "Walk straight,
act right,
tell the truth.
3-4 "Don't hurt your friend,
don't blame your neighbor;
despise the despicable.
5 "Keep your word even when it costs you,
make an honest living,
never take a bribe.
"You'll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this."
A David Psalm
1 God, who gets invited to dinner at your place?
How do we get on your guest list?
2 "Walk straight,
act right,
tell the truth.
3-4 "Don't hurt your friend,
don't blame your neighbor;
despise the despicable.
5 "Keep your word even when it costs you,
make an honest living,
never take a bribe.
"You'll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this."
I just got this today...
It comes by way of an e-mail newsletter
Here's a look at a Classic Issue of Preaching Now, originally published in the spring of 2004. Hope you enjoy!
In a recent sermon by Robert Kopp, I came across this affirmation, which was posted on the wall of his house by a young African pastor.
May it be our testimony as well:
"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
"I have Holy Spirit power. "The die has been cast. "I have stepped over the line. "The decision has been made. "I'm a disciple of His.
"I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
"My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
"I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.
"I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity.
"I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.
"I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, live by prayer and labor by power.
"My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear.
"I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
"I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
"I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.
"I am a disciple of Jesus.
"I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me.
"And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me -- my banner will be clear!"
I do wish I had said these. However, I can if I will. The above statements are I AM in me. They are true of me I Christ Jesus. They are true of you in Christ Jesus. Really? Really? YES! YES! YES! Not because of who you are but because of HIM, Jesus.
My CHALLENGE to you is to copy one or two of these statements on a post-it note. Put it somewhere you look every day. Read it and believe it, know it and do it, recognize it and see it in you and around you. IT is the presence of God in You, There I AM.
Here's a look at a Classic Issue of Preaching Now, originally published in the spring of 2004. Hope you enjoy!
In a recent sermon by Robert Kopp, I came across this affirmation, which was posted on the wall of his house by a young African pastor.
May it be our testimony as well:
"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
"I have Holy Spirit power. "The die has been cast. "I have stepped over the line. "The decision has been made. "I'm a disciple of His.
"I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
"My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
"I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals.
"I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity.
"I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.
"I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, live by prayer and labor by power.
"My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear.
"I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
"I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
"I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.
"I am a disciple of Jesus.
"I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till He stops me.
"And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me -- my banner will be clear!"
I do wish I had said these. However, I can if I will. The above statements are I AM in me. They are true of me I Christ Jesus. They are true of you in Christ Jesus. Really? Really? YES! YES! YES! Not because of who you are but because of HIM, Jesus.
My CHALLENGE to you is to copy one or two of these statements on a post-it note. Put it somewhere you look every day. Read it and believe it, know it and do it, recognize it and see it in you and around you. IT is the presence of God in You, There I AM.
Monday, March 1, 2010
I have read today...
"I've noticed that most mornings I don't wake up super-happy, and I'm not sure why. I've also been noticing that for some time now that when I first wake up, I find myself racing through the coming day in my mind, bracing myself for what's required of me, but even more searching so searching to see if there is anything to look forward to." John Eldredge (Walking with God p.92).
Unfortunately the same is often true of me. You might think that biblical education and knowledge, experience with God and His vast ability to do the extraordinary in the face of failure would be enough to look forward to each and every day but honestly it is not. John Eldredge goes on and says, "Our day-to-day grind isn't anything close to Eden (the garden), and our hurting and desperate hearts look for something to which we can attach all those yearnings. we'll settle for a donut [or cold fried chicken] if that's all there is to look forward to."
Boy do I often settle. I settle for less than a donut. That's not what I want!
The topic before this passage was love. I settle for less than real love.
It seems to me to be an epidemic to settle for less than REAL love. REAL love is the kind that hangs around when we act like a butt crossed arms hand over mouth but leaves with us; The kind that picks us up out of the crap of our lives and wipes us off getting dirty too; The kind that loves just because and not because we can or will do something. I often settle for less than that and give less than that.
Then it hit me, I have settled for less than God's definition of what is success and what is successful. Long and issue with me, success is a tug-of-war. For a while I'll be one way and then the rope is pulled the other. I never seem to settle on God's definition. I always hang on to another definition. Honestly, I thought I had put this behind me but evidently not.
Well, yesterday I told our people one of the seven steps (courtesy of Rick Warren I wish I was that smart) to cooperate with God in our transformation was to "focus on what I want and not on what I don't want." With that said, I want God's definition of success to be my own as well. That is my prayer.
What about you? Do you struggle with a definition of success? What have you agreed to that is settling and not up to the standards of the Kingdom of God? Let's agree on what we want and be transformed by the "renewing of our minds."
Unfortunately the same is often true of me. You might think that biblical education and knowledge, experience with God and His vast ability to do the extraordinary in the face of failure would be enough to look forward to each and every day but honestly it is not. John Eldredge goes on and says, "Our day-to-day grind isn't anything close to Eden (the garden), and our hurting and desperate hearts look for something to which we can attach all those yearnings. we'll settle for a donut [or cold fried chicken] if that's all there is to look forward to."
Boy do I often settle. I settle for less than a donut. That's not what I want!
The topic before this passage was love. I settle for less than real love.
It seems to me to be an epidemic to settle for less than REAL love. REAL love is the kind that hangs around when we act like a butt crossed arms hand over mouth but leaves with us; The kind that picks us up out of the crap of our lives and wipes us off getting dirty too; The kind that loves just because and not because we can or will do something. I often settle for less than that and give less than that.
Then it hit me, I have settled for less than God's definition of what is success and what is successful. Long and issue with me, success is a tug-of-war. For a while I'll be one way and then the rope is pulled the other. I never seem to settle on God's definition. I always hang on to another definition. Honestly, I thought I had put this behind me but evidently not.
Well, yesterday I told our people one of the seven steps (courtesy of Rick Warren I wish I was that smart) to cooperate with God in our transformation was to "focus on what I want and not on what I don't want." With that said, I want God's definition of success to be my own as well. That is my prayer.
What about you? Do you struggle with a definition of success? What have you agreed to that is settling and not up to the standards of the Kingdom of God? Let's agree on what we want and be transformed by the "renewing of our minds."
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