Show and Tell

Worship Wars Discussion

Reverence vs Relevance from LifeWay Productions on Vimeo.

Sacrificial Living

I just finished "So, You Want To Be Like Christ?" by Swindoll.  Amazing book! 

One of my fellow pastors, Myron Burris, had told me how rich the book was when he read it some time ago.   His recommendation for the book was glowing so I decided to jump in and read it myself.  I won't write a full review here, but there is no doubt that it is worth the read and the current price at www.cbd.com.  Swindoll writes about our call to live for Christ and die to self.  The evident lack of a development of discipline in the lives of most confessing Christ followers, and the joy that we experience when we die to self to live for God's glory.

My reading through the book has coincided with my examination of the Gospels.  I am reminded of the sacrifice Christ made for me, and all who would ever live, to restore a relationship broken by sin.  Great ending chapter on living a sacrficial life and what it would look like to live out Romans 12:1-2 everyday.

Observe or Ignore?

I have spent the last couple of months evaluating my schedule, habits, work progress, and efficiency.  I am dealing witht he stone cold reality that I am not by nature or habit an efficient person.  This is not a new revelation.  My parents would reveal that knowledge often while I was growing up some 20+ years ago.  I was notorious for having multiple chores underway and none of them finished.  That bad habit has followed me all my life, and created a model of inefficient busyness.  I am hoping to set a course on changing that issue over the next 4 months.  My evaluation has also pointed out that my ineffiency keeps me from downtime with God and alone time with my family.

As I continue my reading through Luke's gospel account God continues to faithfully speak to me about my life.  I had to stop on several verses today and write them our on my memory cards. 

Luke 11:28

We are reminded that some people will hear the Word of God and not observe, or apply it to their lives.  Jesus specifically was addressing a man who proclaimed Mary to be blessed because God had chosen her to give birth to Jesus.

Luke 12:11-12

When we are obedient to observe the Word of God in our life it leads to a transformation.  We become less concerned about the temporal things of this world and more concerned about the glory of God, and proclaiming His love and grace.  Jesus was quick to point out that being brought to trial or otherwise persecuted would not be an option for His followers, rather an event that we can count on occurring.  There is His promise that at those times, particularly on trial, when it becomes our job not to speak in defense, but to let the Holy Spirit control our tongue.

Reaching Today's 20-30 Year Olds

Connect Conferences from threadsmedia on Vimeo.

 

I am looking forward to participating at one of these conferences.  Much discussion has taken place over the last couple of years regarding the majority of the church getting older, and not being followed by 20-30 year old adults.  We have an older population that will one day pass away, and numerical deficits 2 generations later.

I have read some of the research already from Lost and Found, and I hope this conference will shed new light on ways we as a church can connect a younger generation back to God through a relationship with Christ.

Zac Robinson on the 2009 Season

Importance of Prayer

I have been reading a great book by Chuck Swindoll, about the silence and solitude we need in our lives spiritually.  Today as I was reading through Luke I read several verses that confirms our need to be alone with God, and Christ was providing the example.

Luke 5:15-16
¹⁵Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. ¹⁶But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 6:11-12
¹¹But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus. Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Everybody wanted Jesus.  Some wanted Him to heal and deliver them from sickness, while others wanted Him dead.  He just wanted time with God!

What are our expectations?

www.biblegateway.com
Matthew 15:29-31

^29(W)Departing from there, Jesus went along by ^(X)the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up on the mountain, He was sitting there.

 ³⁰And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and ^(Y)He healed them.

 ³¹So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they ^(Z)glorified the God of Israel.

Again people are coming to Jesus expecting, hoping, and trusting Him to execute His great power in their lives.  When that expected power was released the people were in awe and marveled at the evidence of Jesus authority over infirmities of the day.

I wonder if American Christians today expect and long for that same magnitude of God's eveident power.  Do we come to him with those in need of healing, knowing beyond doubt, that if they will just enter his presence they can be made WHOLLY well for eternity?

Jesus' Influence

Matthew 4:25
Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

Have you ever looked at Jesus early ministry?  Do you whole-heartedly accept that only Hebrews by birth, or Jews by religion were the early primary hearers of the message of Jesus and witnesses of His miracles?  What took place prior to the events of Matthew 4:25?  Alot!  Christ's birth, magi from afar traveling great distances, murdering of innocent boys by Herod, Jesus' return to Israel from Egypt, and His baptism by John. 

Tucked away at the end of chapter 4 is a small verse of facts.  People were following Jesus because of what he was doing.  There were the people from Galilee.  Those individuals who were genrally untrained in the law, and without proper training and education.  They were workers though, and great fisherman with the city positoned at the Sea of Galilee.  Some were from Jerusalem.  No doubt many of the Jerusalemites were devout Jews checking out this guys who could heal.  Some may have been looking for the Messiah that was spoken of by Isaiah and refernced by the priests in Matthew 2:6.  Another group was from Judea.  They came from a regional area.  Some may have been Jewish followers, but they came seeking this man who was doing mighty works.

It is however the other 2 groups that are of interest to me.  Those who came from Decapolis.  An area of the Roman Empire with 10 city-state on the edge of the advancement of the empire.  Given to limited self-rule as an enticement for Roman citizens to move there and aid in the establishment of the city.  The region sat to the southeast of Galilee and comprises modern day Syria and Jordan.  Historical records show it was full of Roman theology and short on Jewish influence.  The group from beyond the Jordan.  People on the east side of the Jordan, who did not live in Judea, and likely had little influence of Judaism.

I wonder today, who left those meetings and returned to their homes believing in Jesus?  Who traveled to see this Jesus, and left believing Him to be the Messiah? 
While we are not Christians, Christ did tell the apostles they would have great powers to cast out demons and heal.  Today, we have the authoirity of Christ in us.  We have God, working out love in us so that all creation will know He exists and glorify Him because of our actions.

How about our influence?  Do we live in such a way, that our actions are so lovingly different than society that people want to travel to see us?

All in Due Time

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a ^(A)time for every event under heaven--
    ²A time to give birth and a ^(B)time to die;
         A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
    ³A ^(C)time to kill and a time to heal;
         A time to tear down and a time to build up.
    ⁴A time to ^(D)weep and a time to ^(E)laugh;
         A time to mourn and a time to ^(F)dance.
    ⁵A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;

         A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
    ⁶A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
         A time to keep and a time to throw away. 
    ⁷A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
         A time to ^(G)be silent and a time to speak. 
    ⁸A time to love and a time to ^(H)hate;
         A time for war and a time for peace. 

The biggest lesson I have learned this semester during seminary is not a new tidbit of theological knowledge.  Rather it is my depserate need to ASSIGN myself a time for study and reading.  Carve it out of my schedule.  Protect and guard it as the mighty men of Israel did for David when Saul sought his life.  Too often I respond to requests rather than setting priorities.  During the National Outreach Convention, Dave Ferguson said pastors will either die by request or live by priorities.  Three months into being on staff full time, that statement sounded profound, but it carries much more meaning and depth for me today!  This week I will be working on a schedule for my time when I am in the office.  Please pray for me as I begin this transition.

Seminary Time

Monday will be my final day of seminary for the semester.  That is both good and bad.  I would love to continue on through the summer, but the past 4 months have been an adjustment for my family.  I am ready to see them!  My wonderful wife has been very supportive, understanding, and forcefully encouraging me at times to do well.  I took 7 hours this semester.  7 hours in seminary seems like the 15-18 hours window when working on an undergraduate degree.  READING!  READING! More READING just for fun.

I would like to be able to take about 15-18 hours a year.  That would be 6 hours each semester, plus 6 other sprinkled between I-Terms, online courses, and summer classes.  I have to complete 90+ hours for my M. Div.  Maybe I can celebrate my 40th birthday and graduation party the same day.  I hope I am almost finished with my Ph.D. by my 40th birthday.

I heard lots of opinions about seminary when people found out that I would be attending.  Some friends encouraged me.  Some warned me about "liberal" professors who would corrupt my beliefs.  I welcome a professor who holds a different view than me, as long as disagreeing does not change my grade.  We should see a different view as a challenge to "study to show thyself approved unto God."  Being challenged theologically should drive us to a deeper study of scripture, not an attack on a person characterized by a haughty and self-righteous spirit.

Looking forward to my classes in the fall!