".....He's been raised up; he's no longer here......." Mark 16:6 MSG
Today is the day we celebrate the most important day of our Christian faith. Today we celebrate the restoration of life through Jesus Christ. Our faith is nothing without what today symbolizes. It is meaningless. We are then just Jewish ourselves, or another religion that doesn't mean much to the world. But we are a part of something awesome!
Through the events of this day, our sin is covered if we just believe. The old convenant is smashed and the new one established; one that requires only our belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son of Man, the confession of our sin, and the new creation of a loving heart within us. God will live in us just as he lived in His Son on this day over 2000 years ago.
Believe, Seek, Live.
Freak
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Lead or Follow
"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls....." Heb 13:17 ESV
.......But please, please don't just sit there and complain. Leaders don't complain, they serve. Followers don't complain but do as they are asked respectfully. Complainers only live to serve themselves and get THEIR way. They have no intention of leading with their words and actions and they have no intention of "standing idly by" while someone else takes THEIR glory away. Its all about them and not the team or direction of the team.
I am not here to brag about my leadership abilities, but I want to tell you a story about leadership from my time in Air Force. Its was a hot day in the AZ desert. The technicians were out slaving away on the A-10s assigned to our unit as myself and another young officer sat in the nice air conditioned office discussing a problem we were having with a certain maintenance action. The techs were not following the proper procedures and we were having problems with something (I can't quite remember). I was about to go outside and begin to work through the procedure with some of the techs to see where the deficiency was in either the process, or how they were performing the action. Out of left field, I am told that I don't need to go through that to understand what it takes to do this procedure. What? This just did not compute with me since I had been doing engine changes, gun changes, parts swaps and the like for over a year now to try and understand the intricate life of a maintenance technician in the field. I was one of their leaders and superior officers, but I was far from superior in my understanding of what needed to be done to make flying happen everyday. In the end I let my temper get the best of me as this other officer and I went at it in fine verbal fashion for over a half an hour. His side: we only need to know how it's done to lead them. My side: get your butt out of the AC, onto the flightline, and get into their life to understand better what it really takes to lead them.
What I'm saying is this: Leaders are servants more than their followers, and followers are leaders by their ability to listen, understand, and follow the direction and vision of their leaders. Too many times in the church, there are people trying to be the chief, and not enough people to be the indians. Some want to serve with their words, yet not move their feet to action. Some want to watch from a distance and shout orders while others do the dirty work and get into the nastiness that is our lives today.
It's not enough just talk............actions speak louder than words.........but words can be like nails down a chalkboard when there is nothing but hot air behind them.
#5: Lead or follow, but don't complain.
Freak
.......But please, please don't just sit there and complain. Leaders don't complain, they serve. Followers don't complain but do as they are asked respectfully. Complainers only live to serve themselves and get THEIR way. They have no intention of leading with their words and actions and they have no intention of "standing idly by" while someone else takes THEIR glory away. Its all about them and not the team or direction of the team.
I am not here to brag about my leadership abilities, but I want to tell you a story about leadership from my time in Air Force. Its was a hot day in the AZ desert. The technicians were out slaving away on the A-10s assigned to our unit as myself and another young officer sat in the nice air conditioned office discussing a problem we were having with a certain maintenance action. The techs were not following the proper procedures and we were having problems with something (I can't quite remember). I was about to go outside and begin to work through the procedure with some of the techs to see where the deficiency was in either the process, or how they were performing the action. Out of left field, I am told that I don't need to go through that to understand what it takes to do this procedure. What? This just did not compute with me since I had been doing engine changes, gun changes, parts swaps and the like for over a year now to try and understand the intricate life of a maintenance technician in the field. I was one of their leaders and superior officers, but I was far from superior in my understanding of what needed to be done to make flying happen everyday. In the end I let my temper get the best of me as this other officer and I went at it in fine verbal fashion for over a half an hour. His side: we only need to know how it's done to lead them. My side: get your butt out of the AC, onto the flightline, and get into their life to understand better what it really takes to lead them.
What I'm saying is this: Leaders are servants more than their followers, and followers are leaders by their ability to listen, understand, and follow the direction and vision of their leaders. Too many times in the church, there are people trying to be the chief, and not enough people to be the indians. Some want to serve with their words, yet not move their feet to action. Some want to watch from a distance and shout orders while others do the dirty work and get into the nastiness that is our lives today.
It's not enough just talk............actions speak louder than words.........but words can be like nails down a chalkboard when there is nothing but hot air behind them.
#5: Lead or follow, but don't complain.
Freak
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The Ministry Rat Poison
"Don't talk about your neighbors behind their backs- No slander or gossip, please." Proverbs 24:28 MSG
Can anyone tell me the number one killer of any church or ministry? It's not hard to guess from the verse. GOSSIP. There is nothing in the world that can kill a ministry quicker than people talking about one another behind each other's backs. After the dust settles from the big demise, a leader who allows gossip in their ministry will be looking around and speaking the immortal words of Socrates when he said, "I drank what?"
I have seen gossip tear churches to pieces. I have seen gossip tear families apart. And , I am sad to say, I have caught myself participating in gossip at times. But, it was a man named Hal Mayer who taught me a key lesson in any minstry or church: if you have a problem with someone, don't talk about it with anyone else but that person. Once its resolved, you still should not talk to anyone about it.
Here is what I try to do when I hear someone going on and on about someone else: "Have you talked with them about this?" If the answer is no then its time for me to exit stage left. I tell them to go take it up with who they are refering to. If they have a problem with that, then they have no back bone.
Here is how I feel about gossip now: If you can't say what's on your mind to someone's face, then I don't need to hear it either. Shut up and move on with life. If you really have to get it out, go talk to a tree or scream it out in your car alone. Don't drag others down with you......
If there is a gossip in your minstry/church, confront them. If they don't listen, ask them to leave. If they won't leave, remove them. It's that simple. Would you allow someone to slowly and knowingly poison you or your immediate family? Then why allow it with your church family?
Freak
Can anyone tell me the number one killer of any church or ministry? It's not hard to guess from the verse. GOSSIP. There is nothing in the world that can kill a ministry quicker than people talking about one another behind each other's backs. After the dust settles from the big demise, a leader who allows gossip in their ministry will be looking around and speaking the immortal words of Socrates when he said, "I drank what?"
I have seen gossip tear churches to pieces. I have seen gossip tear families apart. And , I am sad to say, I have caught myself participating in gossip at times. But, it was a man named Hal Mayer who taught me a key lesson in any minstry or church: if you have a problem with someone, don't talk about it with anyone else but that person. Once its resolved, you still should not talk to anyone about it.
Here is what I try to do when I hear someone going on and on about someone else: "Have you talked with them about this?" If the answer is no then its time for me to exit stage left. I tell them to go take it up with who they are refering to. If they have a problem with that, then they have no back bone.
Here is how I feel about gossip now: If you can't say what's on your mind to someone's face, then I don't need to hear it either. Shut up and move on with life. If you really have to get it out, go talk to a tree or scream it out in your car alone. Don't drag others down with you......
If there is a gossip in your minstry/church, confront them. If they don't listen, ask them to leave. If they won't leave, remove them. It's that simple. Would you allow someone to slowly and knowingly poison you or your immediate family? Then why allow it with your church family?
Freak
Monday, March 26, 2012
Love God, Love Others, and Go
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30, 31 NIV)
This is going to be short and sweet, because Jesus was short and sweet about: these are the foundations of our faith. Jesus laid it all out there: Love God, Love Others.
We love God and others through the Great Commission.
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:17-20 NIV)
I had a great discussion with a good friend of mine who really believes the Bible is just stories, written by man who is fallible, so the Bible is fallible. It's okay with me that he doubts and doesn't believe. It's not my position to argue or convince, it's my position to love, understand, have an open mind for others hearts, and then begin the process of planting through love, understanding and relationship. God does the work in someone, not me. I am just the conduit. Anything more and I put myself equal to God. Not cool.
So #3: Love God, Love Others and Go......do what He asks you too.
Freak
This is going to be short and sweet, because Jesus was short and sweet about: these are the foundations of our faith. Jesus laid it all out there: Love God, Love Others.
We love God and others through the Great Commission.
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:17-20 NIV)
I had a great discussion with a good friend of mine who really believes the Bible is just stories, written by man who is fallible, so the Bible is fallible. It's okay with me that he doubts and doesn't believe. It's not my position to argue or convince, it's my position to love, understand, have an open mind for others hearts, and then begin the process of planting through love, understanding and relationship. God does the work in someone, not me. I am just the conduit. Anything more and I put myself equal to God. Not cool.
So #3: Love God, Love Others and Go......do what He asks you too.
Freak
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Skipping the Rock
A few weeks ago, I came up with a list of about 10 things to live life by. I was at a loss for some guidelines I wanted to set for myself, so what better way than the proverbial Top 10 list. Right? Yesterday I posted about doing our best, preparing for the worst, and trusting that God will come through for us in ALL aspects of our lives. Well, I figured I would continue for the next 9 days and post the rest. (These will not be posted in any order of importance)
".....He straightened up and said, 'The sinless one among you, go first: throw the stone." John 8:7 MSG
The other day, my wife and I took our sons on our first so called "Family Vacation." It was short and sweet, but a whole heckuva lot of fun for us and the boys, minus the allergies and one missed event that I will admit was my fault. On day 2, we stopped by the river in Smoky Mountain National Park and took the boys down to the river's edge to just check out the water. While there, we saw many smooth river rocks that we started skipping across the rushing waters. Being near a bridge, my oldest though it would be funny to "skip" rocks off the metal bridge spars because is sounded cool. But, the cars going over the bridge wouldn't like that (thank you God there were none driving by when he threw the rocks). But I noticed something about the ones he threw at the bridge: in a wadded handful like a shotgun blast, some of those rocks would come bouncing back. If not careful, they were going to hit him.
Here is my point: Jesus taught us, in a very vivid way, not to throw river rocks at bridges in the Smoky Mountain National Park. Why? Because they just might come back and hit us. In this passage from John, the Pharisees have brought a women caught in the act of sleeping with someone else's husband. They want to trap him in saying something against the law of Moses which allows for stoning of someone caught in adultery. But he turns the table on them and makes them look within themselves at their own sin.
Here, God is not specifically saying there will be backlash from our condemnation, but that we must not throw that rock unless we can call ourselves sinless when we do. Otherwise, we better be ready for the ricochet. If we want to judge someone for their sins, we must be ready to be judged for ours. Its that simple. Its easy to point out other's sins; it's much harder to point out our own.
If you throw the rocks at the bridge, be ready when some of them come back. It WILL hurt.
Freak
".....He straightened up and said, 'The sinless one among you, go first: throw the stone." John 8:7 MSG
The other day, my wife and I took our sons on our first so called "Family Vacation." It was short and sweet, but a whole heckuva lot of fun for us and the boys, minus the allergies and one missed event that I will admit was my fault. On day 2, we stopped by the river in Smoky Mountain National Park and took the boys down to the river's edge to just check out the water. While there, we saw many smooth river rocks that we started skipping across the rushing waters. Being near a bridge, my oldest though it would be funny to "skip" rocks off the metal bridge spars because is sounded cool. But, the cars going over the bridge wouldn't like that (thank you God there were none driving by when he threw the rocks). But I noticed something about the ones he threw at the bridge: in a wadded handful like a shotgun blast, some of those rocks would come bouncing back. If not careful, they were going to hit him.
Here is my point: Jesus taught us, in a very vivid way, not to throw river rocks at bridges in the Smoky Mountain National Park. Why? Because they just might come back and hit us. In this passage from John, the Pharisees have brought a women caught in the act of sleeping with someone else's husband. They want to trap him in saying something against the law of Moses which allows for stoning of someone caught in adultery. But he turns the table on them and makes them look within themselves at their own sin.
Here, God is not specifically saying there will be backlash from our condemnation, but that we must not throw that rock unless we can call ourselves sinless when we do. Otherwise, we better be ready for the ricochet. If we want to judge someone for their sins, we must be ready to be judged for ours. Its that simple. Its easy to point out other's sins; it's much harder to point out our own.
If you throw the rocks at the bridge, be ready when some of them come back. It WILL hurt.
Freak
Do, Prepare, and Trust
"Do your best, prepare for the worst-then trust God to bring victory." Proverbs 21:31 MSG
I often wonder what doing my best looks like? Does it look like 14 hour days just to scrape out a meager paycheck? What about volunteering for anything and everything at church? Or even further, does it look like running around trying to serve everyone else in an effort to "work" my way to heaven?
I wonder the same about what the worst looks like and how to prepare for it. Living in a van down by the river?.........Our government falls apart and our country collapses?.........We are truly unsaved because of our heart, and not the way we presented ourself to other believers?
Proverbs is the most prolific book of wisdom ever written. Here is what God has laid upon my heart after reading this passage over and over today:
"Do your best...."......at everything you do, but your best must be in harmony (not balance, which means everything has equal measure) with all other aspects of life. Christ displayed harmony in life in all that he did. He did his best to serve His Father and others, but he harmonized that with the rest of his life and the ultimate vision for his life......God's vision.
".....prepare for the worst........" Who cares about the end of the US or any other country. We will survive and persavere. Who cares about money or retirement or success? In the end, they become our idols. Preparing for the worst means checking your attitude......how will the worst affect you? This leads to the last part of this verse.
".....then trust in God to bring victory.".........Doing and preparing lead to trust. Trust leads to calm, contentment, and joy in life. Joy leads to service beyond ourselves and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for where we are, what we are going through, and why we are going through it, good or bad.
God's purpose is beyond anything we can fathom. The world tells us differently. Do, prepare and trust. Its imperative.
Freak
I often wonder what doing my best looks like? Does it look like 14 hour days just to scrape out a meager paycheck? What about volunteering for anything and everything at church? Or even further, does it look like running around trying to serve everyone else in an effort to "work" my way to heaven?
I wonder the same about what the worst looks like and how to prepare for it. Living in a van down by the river?.........Our government falls apart and our country collapses?.........We are truly unsaved because of our heart, and not the way we presented ourself to other believers?
Proverbs is the most prolific book of wisdom ever written. Here is what God has laid upon my heart after reading this passage over and over today:
"Do your best...."......at everything you do, but your best must be in harmony (not balance, which means everything has equal measure) with all other aspects of life. Christ displayed harmony in life in all that he did. He did his best to serve His Father and others, but he harmonized that with the rest of his life and the ultimate vision for his life......God's vision.
".....prepare for the worst........" Who cares about the end of the US or any other country. We will survive and persavere. Who cares about money or retirement or success? In the end, they become our idols. Preparing for the worst means checking your attitude......how will the worst affect you? This leads to the last part of this verse.
".....then trust in God to bring victory.".........Doing and preparing lead to trust. Trust leads to calm, contentment, and joy in life. Joy leads to service beyond ourselves and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for where we are, what we are going through, and why we are going through it, good or bad.
God's purpose is beyond anything we can fathom. The world tells us differently. Do, prepare and trust. Its imperative.
Freak
Friday, February 10, 2012
Beg for Forgiveness
Dear Ben,
I am writing this letter because God has laid it on my heart to beg your forgiveness. It's been a long time since we have even really talked. We were friends in high school, but have lost touch since your gave me the letter. I really don't remember what you wrote in the letter. What I do remember is my reaction........and it was wrong. I was young and stupid and you never deserved the cold shoulder I gave you.
Many years later, I have seen your success, I have secretly been pulling for your success in life, I have watched your success unfold on public TV, and now I want you to know that I love you as a friend and wish you the most in life.
You never deserved the way I treated you. You never deserved the shame I might have put you through. You never deserved what other people may have done to you in your life. What you do deserve is my respect and admiration for the awesome person you are. You deserve to know that my faith in Christ means I do not turn my back on anyone, despite the fact I may not agree with your decisions in life or the lifestyle you choose. I now ask myself how I can judge someone else's sins without judging my own first?
Ben, you are a special person, created by God and living the path you have chosen. It was not my place to turn my back. It was my place to be there for you through the tough times. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me Ben. I pray for you everyday and now I pray you will forgive me for the actions of a young and stupid kid.
I wish you all the best in life and will be looking for you in the spotlight again, praying for your success and hoping you will come to know the true love of God that i know, and not the distorted one of the media and the bigots.
Once your friend and begging for your forgiveness,
Jeremiah (aka Freak)
I am writing this letter because God has laid it on my heart to beg your forgiveness. It's been a long time since we have even really talked. We were friends in high school, but have lost touch since your gave me the letter. I really don't remember what you wrote in the letter. What I do remember is my reaction........and it was wrong. I was young and stupid and you never deserved the cold shoulder I gave you.
Many years later, I have seen your success, I have secretly been pulling for your success in life, I have watched your success unfold on public TV, and now I want you to know that I love you as a friend and wish you the most in life.
You never deserved the way I treated you. You never deserved the shame I might have put you through. You never deserved what other people may have done to you in your life. What you do deserve is my respect and admiration for the awesome person you are. You deserve to know that my faith in Christ means I do not turn my back on anyone, despite the fact I may not agree with your decisions in life or the lifestyle you choose. I now ask myself how I can judge someone else's sins without judging my own first?
Ben, you are a special person, created by God and living the path you have chosen. It was not my place to turn my back. It was my place to be there for you through the tough times. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me Ben. I pray for you everyday and now I pray you will forgive me for the actions of a young and stupid kid.
I wish you all the best in life and will be looking for you in the spotlight again, praying for your success and hoping you will come to know the true love of God that i know, and not the distorted one of the media and the bigots.
Once your friend and begging for your forgiveness,
Jeremiah (aka Freak)
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