As a deer

Good morning again. It is a wet day here, but the rain is much needed. I love to just sit and listen to the raindrops fall as they water the dry ground. It's a wonderful sound and soothing to the spirit.

Much like God's voice when he speaks to us in our quiet times. Getting alone to pray and seek his face really inspires the spirit, lifts the soul and sets the course of the day so much better than getting up grabbing a pop tart and bolting for the door.

What do we do though when God doesn't speak? When he doesn't answer? Or worse yet when he does, and gives us a response that we wished we had not received? Is God messing with us? NO! He is growing us. He is stretching us and challenging us to step into places and to do things that we normally would not go or do. The silence of God at times can be deafining.

Have you ever sat back and asked: "Why LORD are you not answering me?" "Why am I so troubled?" Many times we feel that way when God seems to be silent. We struggle with the lack of response and feel distanced from him. Yet, God is doing something in his silence. He is teaching us to walk with him even when he seems to be aloof to the goings on of life. Why? To teach trust and faith. It is not a divine game of "I shall mess with so and so because its fun." It is a test as it were to see if we really wish to have him or not. Will we press in? Will we persevere and continue to ask him even if he holds back his response?

Psalm 42 tells a story of at least one of the Sons of Korah. He seems to be going through a dry time, a time where God isn't talking to him. He is troubled in the deep part of his soul and wonders why. His feeling is that God has forgotten him. Don't we sometimes feel that way? For whatever reason, we get the sense that God has left us to walk alone.

Yet, he never does. He is always there, and is watching over us. I would encourage you as I have been encouraged, remember what he has done for you in the past. Recall his faithfulness and his steadfastness and hold tight to that in the times of silence.

"Give me strength LORD, to walk in your silence." Most times our greatest lessons are learned along that quiet road.

That's the way the world goes round

Good day. Not much to say for those of you who humor me by reading my blog. Except I have a good many thank-you's.

It has been one of those summers to forget. I am happy that I can sit down at my desk, type a bit, process more and listen to some music. To the elders and the congregation here at COTR, you are all awesome. I serve a great congregation. PR and Suzanne, thank you as well for your prayers and support. In addition, my early morning coffee dudes! You are all awesome. And especially to my wife, without whom I do not believe I  would have the ability to see the forest for the trees.

Sometimes life takes twists and turns that we are either unprepared for or we just simply do not wish to walk to roads that present themselves. Yet, off we must go onto paths we would rather leave untrod. God leads, trains and lifts up his children, and he uses those around us to remind us of important things. Along those same paths we wish to stay away from, we find that by stepping onto them some of the greatest lessons can be found. I have taken some of those lessons, stored them in my heart and will draw from them as I move forward.

In the midst of two funerals and at last count 7 road trips throughout NE, life goes on. Planning for Elevate youth happens this evening, and the young adult group has begun to form. We are looking at Paul's letter to the Ephesian church. I will use this blog as a means of facilitating that conversation beyond our weekly meeting. I am excited to see what this new "year" (school year) brings to life. Time marches on and life happens. We can grab it by the reigns and with the help of God set out on that faith journey marked out for us. OR we can sit back and let the winds of change take us to the wherever stop-off. One turns into a life well lived, while the other is a life lost in the valley of entropy.

Me, I want to take all I have learned these few months, apply it, learn from it and seek the LORD more. Why? Because letting the currents of the river take you where ever and then complaining about where you landed is quite silly. I would rather steer the boat, let the LORD give direction and land right where he says to. As the world continues to go round, what is your assignment in the midst of the goings on in your life? I challenge you to dig in, pray and then act. Make changes where they need to be made. Focus on the one who solves problems and not the one who causes them.

Life is like Fangorn forest. The trees are so thick sometimes that no light gets in. Bilbo didn't complain, he climbed to where the light was and found where he needed to go. Yup, a Hobbit reference. I'm a nerd.

Many blessings to you all and I pray that I will be solid enough to return again tomorrow: Same bat time same bat channel...

How do you honor an absent Dad?

Today is Father's day and to all the Dad's out there, Happy Father's Day to you. To my Father- in- law, my step-Dad (Dana) and to Bruce. All three of you stepped in where one checked out. You chose to be Dad in each situation you found yourselves. I am blessed to have you all as a part of my life.

As I read my devotions this morning, specifically Our daily bread, it spoke of an Olympic athlete whose Dad suffered a heart attack in the stands and passed away, just before the games were to begin. He honored his Dad by entering the venue for his event wearing his Dad's old hat. The one worn so many times as they fished and did other things together. It was his way of honoring him for standing beside him through the years.

This is a poignant moment, one that really causes me to reflect as I do every Fathers Day. It causes me to ask the question I tend always to ask: How do you honor an absent Dad? Now by absent I do not mean Dad has passed away and he is no longer with you. I mean the Dad who packed it in and drove off into the sunset never to be seen again. By choice he decided, in effect, not to be a Dad. You see, O.D.B. ends with the request to honor our Dad's and show them respect for the good values they taught us. Assuming every Dad did such things. Unfortunately, in a broken and weak world that simply is not true. There are a good many "first generation Christians" such as myself who had no example, much less a Godly one when growing up. So again I ask, "what can one do to honor your absent Dad?

I cannot, nor will I presume to have the answer, but I will share what I have learned.

First: God did not give us the option to honor our parents. It is a command, and one that comes with a promise. Moses mentions it in a list that we all know called the ten Commandments. It is the fifth of ten and the first that relates to our relationships one to another.  Therefore, it is one that we must understand. Paul re-emphasises this principle in his letter to the Ephesians. He starts off the sixth chapter by repeating the commandment to honor your parents, and reminds us that it is the first command with a promise. That promise being long life. It's a hard one to follow when you have a situation like mine. I find, if I may be honest, that I have struggled with this commandment. It requires me, that's right, requires me to honor my parents. Even my absent Father, who for whatever reason, just decided he wanted to check out.

Second: The Love of Christ Compels me. The moment I accepted Jesus, I became accountable to a better way. The world says: He doesn't deserve air to breathe, and quite frankly that may be true. But my life, including my heart attitude, no longer belong to me. I have the choice to do whatever I wish, as God will not violate my free will. But is that really being the Jesus follower I am called to be? No! I have to submit those feelings to him and place them under his authority. I then ask the dangerous question: "How Lord, do I honor my Dad? Scripture is full of answers. The one that stands out is the one I started this paragraph with. It is because Christ's LOVE compels me. The better way of God is the road I choose to take.

Third: "Do as say, not as I do." That's what my Dad always used to say. I can happily say with all love, that if my Dad taught me anything it was how NOT to be a Father. I do not say that sarcastically or with bitterness. I miss my Father and wish he had made different choices, but he didn't. He is absent and will be most likely until he leaves this world. As I have aged, I have found that I learned a lot from Dad. Some good, most not. My challenge as a "first generation believer" is to honor him, regardless of his choices. He is and always will be my Father. Quite honestly, were it not for his choices in this life, I would not be the man that I am. Had he not left, I would not have gone to Vermont. Had I not gone to Vermont, I would not have found the most beautiful woman God ever put on the face of this planet. Had I not met my wife, I would not have my four children, who have turned out awesome! I would not have my grandson, be in the ministry or even typing this story. So Paul was absolutely correct when he says in Romans 8:28a: "And we know that IN ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him."  I have been living the truth of that scripture since the day I packed my 1975 Mustang and pointed it north.

So, thank you Dad. Your choices helped me make mine. Your life defined mine in ways that may not have been how God intended. Yet HE has worked it all together for the good. I have a beautiful wife and four beautiful children and am serving the LORD. I honor you in every sense of the word. You are my Father and though you will never read this, the work that the Holy Spirit had done in my heart allows me to not only honor you, but more importantly to forgive you. By forgiving you, I am free to love, to move on and to honor, even an absent Father...

Harold Camping, Rob Bell and playing on the freeway...

I often wonder what drives people to do things incorrectly over and over again, while at the same time fully expecting the outcome to be different. The world watched, laughed and mocked their way through May 21, "knowing" full well that the 22nd would arrive without the world being destroyed.


I am also baffled at how we can sit back and laugh at such things. Rob Bell puts a book out called "Love Wins" and many in the Christian community label him a heretic, want to throw him out of the church and spend an inordinate amount of time ripping him apart. Now I do not agree with much of his theology to be sure, but he has been labeled now as someone who is a danger to sound doctrine.
Harold Camping stakes his entire life on unsound doctrine and poor Biblical exegesis, and teaches millions to do the same and all we do is laugh at him. I read an article about a man who spent $140,000 advertising the rapture. Another man sold his house, spent all he had to pack his wife and two kids up for their last journey across the country before Jesus took the 200 million Christians "home". Only to wake up in California, broke, unemployed and in dispare. Living with the hope that our world is so bad that we pray for it's destruction while all the "good" folks get to go to glory is no way to live. Yeah, I know it's their fault for believing him. However, does that mean Mr. Camping gets a free pass? I don't think so. Unsound doctrine is unsound doctrine regardless of who is the one delivering it.


So I am struggling with a couple things, yes only a couple:

1] Why would a people pray for the destruction of this (our) world and all on it?
We are told to preach the Word to the world. That is the great commission found in Matthew 28. Why? Because God so LOVED the WORLD (not just the people on it) but the world, that he gave us his son, so that we may believe and become his children. We are never commanded to pray for the destruction of this planet.
2] If all we are hoping for is that Jesus comes to take us (the chosen few) out of here, where is God's love in that?
The second coming of Jesus to this earth is the cornerstone of our faith, and is as Biblically sound as one can be. When that event is to happen was not revealed in scripture.
Matthew 24:36 ~ "No one knows about the day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but only the Father." Camping taught that even though it says that, we actually can know. People believed.
Acts 1:7-8 ~ "He said to them: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when The Holy Spirit comes on you...'" Camping states that based upon this verse we will have a desire to know as the end time approaches and because we have the Holy Spirit, we can know. Even though Jesus said: IT IS NOT FOR US TO KNOW. People believed.

No matter where you stand on the theology of the Rapture, if that is all we focus on as the next great event, you have missed the call of Jesus. It is not our out! We have responsibilities here on this planet and Jesus will judge us, his people, as much on what we have done as what we have believed. Reference Matthew 25:31-46. If all we do is hope we are taken away while all those awful "non-Christians" get theirs, we miss what God is doing.

Scripture tells us that Jesus died once for all. Scripture also tells us that God is slow in coming in the hopes that ALL will come to him. We read in Romans that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. [Romans 3:23-24] It doesn't say that only some are justified, but by implication all are justified. Not all will accept that justification, but because of Jesus' ressurection all are. We don't choose who goes HE DOES. We get to choose whether we go by accepting his justification, but we don't determine who else goes.

Rob Bell in his book says that in the end Love wins, no matter what we choose, whether it be heaven or hell. Although I disagree with him regarding our ability to choose heaven after we die. The book of Hebrews tells us that a person is destined to die once and then the judgement. Call me silly, but I see no wiggle room there. Having read Love wins though, I find there is a great deal of truth regarding how we are to live today for Christ! I can sort that out from the bad stuff and say I agree with him on that.

Harold Camping says 200 million "true Christians" will be taken up. He tells us when it will happen, (re-calculated to Oct 21) and each time gets it wrong. Somehow convincing people to continue to believe in him. Their fault I understand, but just because he is "laughable" and not as clean cut around the edges, does not make him less dangerous. Listen, you can dress a goat up in a tuxedo, but in the end it's still a goat! I find nothing I can agree with him on at any level. His understanding of end times, his false interpretation of scripture and his inability to know when to stop playing on the freeway.

What's with the noise anyway?

Have you ever just sat down and listen to just how loud life is? Even in the relative quiet of your room there is always something making noise. I was awakened this morning (really the middle of the night-but it was after midnight) with the familiar ping of my Blackberry. Sad really, that my ear is so tuned to that irritating little beep, it actually wakes me from a sound sleep. Usually I shut my phone off at night but forgot last night. So much noise, so little quiet.

Its no wonder we have a hard time finding quiet. In fact I find that we are so used to noise that we have become afraid of silence. Yet it is in those quiet times, few as they are, that we hear God. It is not that he has stopped talking to us in this day and age. It is that we have stopped listening.

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus always got alone, or went to a solitary place to pray. I know that was a time and a world that was not so busy and had no electronic stuff to entertain us or distract us. Very true, but as I sit here and type I am looking at my Blackberry (now off) and I see that there are two very facinating buttons. One is the volume, and the other is the off, or red phone button. I hit them both and the world is still turning. We can do what Jesus did. We can find a solitary place and pray, and hear God. The same way Jesus did: disengage from the world and all it's noise. Intentionally shut things down and spend some time in silence. You will be amazed at how loud God can be when you get rid of the noise.

Its been a week...What's new

To my students who went to Compelled by Love, it's been a week since we were in Portsmouth. How are things going? Many challenges were tossed at us, challenges that made us think about how we are to act and respond to those around us.

One that I would like you to look at this week is how can you remain close to God away from an event like convention. I call it the pursuit of a deeper relationship that moves beyone the emotion and feelings. Last fall at our retreat to Singing Hills I preached about Elijah having to learn to how God speaks even in the valley. For us it's the city, town and school. It's the "away from convention" place. Did anything change in your spiritual walk? Are you pursuing God, digging deeper, and putting into practice the things he spoke to you? That's the real reason we go and hear someone like Chilly Chilton. So we can learn how to work and walk in the "valley".

So I got a few things for you: Prayer, His Word, and Stepping out.

1) Prayer: It's here that we learn to speak to and hear from God. The book of Acts is filled with times of prayer and God moving as a result. A lot of those times were quiet pleadings of the Church for direction, salvation and healing. Through the Holy Spirit, God spoke and the Church grew and moved in power! Start here, it's the key to success as God is always faithful to speak to you!

2) His Word: If we dig into his Word as we pray, God speaks through it and reveals things to us that we need to be successful for him. Without his word, we become directionless and weak. Chilly told you that it IS GOD'S WORD his VERY WORD and you should be excited everytime you open your Bible because it is GOD speaking to you. Study it, pray through it and apply it to your life. Store it up in your hearts, and he will use it to light your path toward whatever task he has for you.

3) Step out: Once you are prayed up and studied up are you called to sit in a room all by yourself smiling cuz you found the key to the best party in town? NO! God calls us to share what we have found, we are to invite those who don't know yet to come and see what God has for them. We did not receive from God so we could be selfish, but that we could be like Jesus: Self-LESS. Sharing the good news with friends and enemies!

Let me know what God has been doing. Has he spoken to you, called you or used you to touch the lives of those around you. Let's mess with the world and practice radical acts of forgivness and Love. Overcome evil with good! Love those who are unlovable, in fact invite them to youth group! The P.O.W.'s of your community need someone who is: "just in the neighborhood." Get that Chuck Norris evangelism going, cuz the enemy ain't gonna give 'em up without a fight. What he doesn't get is that he is already defeated because you have overcome by the blood of the LAMB AND the WORD of your testimony. [Rev 12:11]

First night NNED YC 2011

What an awesome night here in Portsmouth. My students had a great time and were moved by the Spirit last night at C3. Pastor Chilly was unbelieveable. He preached out of Mark 2, the same verses that I had just a few weeks ago. It served to re-enforce what I have been preaching and teaching.

His word was timely and powerful. If you have a pulse and a heart beat you have purpose! Each one of our kids has been divinely created with a destiny and purpose that has been defined for them by the Father in Heaven long before they even took a breath.

It is quiet right now as I sit and type, and before the day gets going and I have to wake up some students...any thoughts on how to do that?? =] I would like to thank the Lord for everyone of my leaders, all my students parents and our church body. Without you I would not be able to do what I do. Your prayers, support and trust blesses me more than you know. A big thank you to Lori King who blessed us with taking 7 students to CBC so we could transfer to another vehicle!!! Without you we would have had to strap them to the roof. Thank you so much.

Sam, Deena, Sami and Joshua - you are constantly in our prayers!!!
Till later, figure out how you can be compelled by the love of Christ today.

Crucifixion = LOVE

How many times have you gotten mad at someone and decided you never wanted to talk to them again? What about that friend who you spent years with and all of a sudden they turn on you? What do you do when things like that happen? Think about how easy we get offended by people or things that happen. What’s going on there?

When we think about love and what it means exactly, would you think of beatings? Absorbing blows that don’t belong to you? Receiving rejection even from your closest friends and still finding a way to want to be their friend.

We (my students and I) talked a few weeks ago about being compelled by love. Paul tells us that Christ’s love is what compels us. What does that mean? I often look at that statement and ask what does being compelled really mean? But that is wrong. I should be looking and asking: What does Jesus love look like? For when I understand that and only then, will I be able to be compelled.

Jesus’ love looks a lot different than we think. We think about his ministry, his prayer life, his desire to see the lost found and his ability to heal. We also think of his great teachings about morality and justness, but have you ever thought about his absorption of abuse? His absolute rejection of hate and evil? What about his ability to forgive in the face of total rejection? The ultimate form of love for us was shown on the cross. Not just because Jesus died for our sins, but because he took all that evil (this world) had to give, absorbed it like a sponge and still looked down and said: “Father, forgive them.”

You see the most radical act of love is to forgive. It allowed Jesus to love his enemies. Really love them, everyday in every way.

In Peter’s letter, he makes the statement that Jesus left us THE example by which to live. Now in our world and our community is that possible? Jesus calls us to a radical way of thinking, doing and being. It requires us to let go of our right to retaliate when we are mistreated. Instead we are to trust God the Father to handle it and we are instead, to respond with Crucifixion Love. That is the love that drove Jesus to the cross in the face of his enemies, where he took all the evil this world had to offer and destroyed it by forgiving it. That is a very difficult assignment for us, but one we are called to. So what does that look like for you in your day to day life? Do you think it is possible to even do that today? Jesus faced the most vile and cruel form of punishment this world could come up with and he loved his executioners anyway. For the world to change we must practice this kind of crucified love. Its subversive and countercultural, but we are called to it nonetheless!

Some scriptural references:Matt. 5:38-42, Matt. 5:43-48, Matt 27:46, John 13:34-35 2 Cor. 5:14, 1 Peter 2:21-23

A cheap cup of coffee and the road to eternity: Thanks Pastor Chad!

Had a great night last night at Community Bible Church with other area youth groups and the New England Masters commission. They had some powerful human videos and great worship. But what I was really blessed with was Pastor Chad Lynn and his no holds barred preaching. He preached on Natural disasters, first those that we would typically think of. Especially the devastation we see in Japan. Then he took it to a different level. He talked about the natural disasters that happen spiritually as a result of choices we make. Drinking, drugs, gluttony and apathy.

Hard hitting and profound. I kept hearing John Adams in my head saying: "Facts are stubborn things" as P.C. rolled statistic after statistic out in support of what scripture tells us. Two things bothered me more than any other. 1)The United States amounts to 5% of the global population, while consuming 80% of it's resources! Holy POOP. That means 95% of the world lives on the 20% that's left. And we whine that we missed our latte. Not that Latte's are bad, just that we have a scewed perspective of reality. I thought, Lord forgive me! I am part of that and can do much better. Global poverty is a crime with statistics like that. I was convicted and will begin to make changes to effect what I am accountable for. As Pete Seeger once said: "Think Globally, Act Locally"

The second was the apathy of the church in America to such things. He made a statement that My friend Chris put up on Facebook for his status. It says: There is no such thing as a luke warm Christian. Luke warm and Christian is an oxymoron. Our apathy toward the eternal well being of human souls is something P.C. says we need to account for. In Matt. 28 Jesus left us with one directive: Go into all the world and preach the good news. Now we don't have to try and be the next Billy Graham. We do need to ask God who in our sphere of influence can we come beside and begin a journey with.

There it is again. P.C. talks about how we are all called to share Jesus. Pastor Roland in the 40 day focus is calling us to do the same thing. Come along side someone and journey with them as long as they will let you. Showing the love of Christ and the truth of the gospel along the way.
God calls us to journey away from ourselves and towards him. He calls us to be givers and not takers.

1 US Dollar per day is what more that one billion people live on. Half of the world lives on less than 2 US dollars per day. That's not OK. If someone dies without ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus, and I had an opportunity to share with them and I didn't, that's really not OK! The challenge I give to myself is to submit to the will and call of God, live like someones else's life depends on me (cuz it does) and remember that when I stand before the LORD, I want it to be with those to whom I have shared the gospel with. I don't want to go to Heaven and find that I have arrived alone, with money in my pocket and a prayer in my heart. I want to be completely spent for Christ, with not a nickel to my name.

Please pass the salt

I remember when my Grampa was alive and he had to be on a salt-free diet. You realize very quickly how tasty salt really is when it's gone. Salt-free spagetti sauce is a one plate-ful wonder! You choke it down and pray for a better tasting dessert. Now good seasoned spagetti sauce as my brother Jamie will tell you, "tastes like a more!" For the record, my wife makes the best sause on the whole planet! You see, it doesn't take much salt to enhance the flavor, but no salt kills a good meal.

Well, Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossian church to "let your conversation be always full of grace , seasoned with salt." [Col. 4:6] Why? Well if you don't, much like a bad meal, your conversation and "attitude" can leave a bad aftertaste. Ultimately it ends up driving people away from the cross and redemptive work of Christ. Salt makes things "taste like a more". A self-rightous, super pious attitude that is at the outset rude and mean leaves no room for the grace of God to be seen. Eugene Cho, a pastor I follow on Twitter put it this way: preach the gospel, but you don't have to be a jerk about it!

We lose more opportunitites because of our attitudes going into a conversation. We go in unseasoned and ready for a fight. Jesus did not do such things! Unless it was directed at the rulers of the religious establishment! I feel sorry for those of us who are Christians who feel the need to go in with guns blazing because the cause of Christ must be championed. Meek is what Jesus was, and that is what we should be. Meekness is power under control. There were so many things Jesus could have done because it was in his power to do so, but he didn't. Peter tells us clearly that Jesus left us the example to follow. "This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so that you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step by step. He never did one thing wrong, not once said anything amiss. They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right." [1 Peter 2:21-23 the MSG]

When we do speak, we should be gracious and kind in the hopes of bringing out the best in others within the conversation. If that doesn't happen then just like Jesus, silence is the order of the day. My version is this: If we don't have enough salt to make good sauce: shut-up. Anything beyond that and we're just being jerks*.

*For the record, I am the biggest jerk I know and therefore feel quite qualified to speak on such things. God bless you today.

What's more important the journey or the task at hand?

Each day we get up and have many choices we can make. Who will I talk to today? What will I accomplish when I sit down in the office. Can I meet the deadline for that report, or do the numbers match as they should when we hit the bottom line on the budget? All valid things. All necessary things. But what if in the midst of plowing through all of those things we forget to look up and see what's going on around us? Or more importantly, who is around us?

In the Oldham home, we are Hobbit heads. We love the Lord of the Rings triology and own all of the extended versions. At least once a month we watch all three. While it may take a week to do so, it is fun and as we quote along with our favorite characters, I have discovered something. The destruction of the ring becomes a secondary story somewhere in the Mines of Moria. What becomes more important is each characters journey to find out who they are and what they are made of. The task of destroying the ring took a back seat to the journey of self-discovery.

Even more important is the journey away from who they were as individuals and towards the collective fellowship. Each character puts aside self-preservation, and at times personal greviences for the greater good. Sam happens to be my favorite and the line that I love comes when Frodo makes the decision to leave the fellowship and head out on his own. Sam will have none of it and walks out into the water, not knowing how to swim so he can make the journey with Frodo. He tells Frodo: "Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee, Gandalf said. And I don't intend to MR. Frodo, I don't intend to."

The journey together. Who will I come beside? Who will come beside me and will we at all cost not leave each other as we make our journey toward Jesus?

"So let's do it--full of belief, confident that we are presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big day approaching." [Hebrews 10:22-25 The MSG]

The Challenge of discipleship

Over the last month I have been hearing messages regarding discipleship and why it is a critical part of church health and growth. There is one thing that stands out for me at least as I listen to Pastor Roland and Pastor Jeremy, and that is the act of moving into the unknown.

P.R. talked about Pentecost and the adjustments of the church as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. P.J. talked about Philip leaving a successful revival campaign in Samaria (brought about as a result of persecution in Jerusalem), with the instruction to head to the deserted road that leads to Gaza. Both acts that lead to unknown ends, but in accordance with God's will. Once they stepped out in faith and obedience, God moved in ways they would have never imagined on their own.

Faith and obedience, two very powerful words as well as actions. Dietrich Bonhoeffer,(quickly becoming my favorite theologian) puts it a couple ways. He states that: 'there is no other path to faith than obedience to Jesus' call.' Meaning you have to be obedient to God's call in order to know faith, but you must step out in faith to God's call, and that produces obedience. You cannot have one without the other. If you do you are operating in your own strength and attitude.

Second, he talks about obedience and belief. He makes this statement that: 'only believers obey, and only the obedient believes.' The example he uses in his book Discipleship is that of Peter stepping out of the boat. Peter could have gotten out of the boat all on his own, believing that Jesus would keep him afloat, but would he be obedient? If Jesus had not called, Peter although believing, would then be in disobedience. Profound.

We often do exactally that. we feel we must do something for God and run about doing "stuff", while not seeking to find God and his will. Not that the "stuff" is bad, just that it is not God's will. On the other side of the coin, we tend to not step out when God calls because we do not know what lay in store for us. Thus, not having faith enough in the one who calls.

Ultimatly we all must trust God with the details and the end result. The key is to find God's will for ourselves and step into it. For it is in that moment that faith, obedience and belief converge and God shows up to do some awesome things. The first of which is to make himself known to those who do not know him, through those of us who by faith and belief in him who called, have stepped out in obedience to begin to disciple those he leads us to.

Remember it's never us, it is always Christ in us the hope of Glory.

Praying through the Psalms

I sat down in my church sanctuary this morning and really felt a tug to do more than just "pray". I felt as though I should begin praying through the Psalms. I had/have never done that before, but have felt the profound sense of need to do so. I received the idea from reading the Bonhoeffer book by Eric Metaxas. I have read many books in my short time here on planet earth, but not many, in fact none have casued me such pause in my thoughts. I am deeply moved by the life of this Theologian/Pastor who lived the very words of Scripture up to and including his death. While many have known of the life of Bonhoeffer, I have just learned the depth of his passion and love of God's word, as well as his unbelieveable desire to see it lived out to it's fullness. Especially within the Church!

One of the things he had always done was to sit each day and pray through one of the Psalms. Again, if this is old hat to you, bless you. For me this is something fresh and new in the sense that I have never prayed this particular way other than through the LORD's prayer. His thought was that David and those who wrote the Psalms were pouring out their hearts to the God of all creation looking for him to answer and reveal himself. Lo and behold HE DID and DOES!

The things God revealed were deep and personal. Awesome things that need to be released and put at the foot of the cross. It was a blessing to me and led me into prayer for my Senior Pastor, new incoming pastor and then the entire body of believers whom I shepherd.

The Scriptures come alive in a way that is profound and the realness of God is brought to my heart and mind. I was blessed and would encourage all to seek the God of Heaven in heartfelt prayer as well as praying through his word, especially through the outpouring and deep seeded praise of the Psalms.

The account was full this time

It is a sad day for Patriot nation. They have just been throughly outplayed by the New York Jets. I blogged some time back (you know when the Pats won 45-3) that Rex Ryan was writing checks against an empty account.

Well Cudo's Mr. Ryan! This time, your team filled that account with play after play. Sacking Tom Brady five times for losses in excess of 40 yards. Outplaying the team with the best record in football. I could go on but why, I can't see through my tears. Well done Coach motor-mouth.

With all of that said...I still HATE the Jets. Eight months until the next Patriots training camp. So in the words of every New England sports fan: One month till Spring training...LETS GO RED SOX!

The journey away from self: chapter 1

I have been reading Eric Metaxas' book: Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, spy, and have been deep in my own thoughts on the theology of self.

As I was on my way to the dump this morning I was mulling over the difference between self-ish-ness and self-less-ness. I realized that many thing I do are done from selfish motives as opposed to selfless motives. Yet on the surface I feel that I am motivated by selfless behaviour.

So what is it that makes an act self-less? That is the deep theological question, at least for me. And I am sure will not be answered within the context of this post. For example, I do many good things that the Scriptures state should be done. Yet...am I emptying myself at the altar of GOD, or am I looking to feel good about having done what is naturally expected of me as it relates to Scripture? If I am doing the latter, that then is a selfish act. As it is done to make me feel good and accomplish what I perceive to be something "that should be done".

It is a deep question that I have been focusing on in light of suffering. For example: Would I be willing to leave every comfort that I have to go where I have no wish to be in order to fulfill the will of GOD no matter the cost. That is an emptying of self. Conversly, would I stay right where I am, even if I wished to be elsewhere in order to speak to the needs of a people, thus fulfilling the will of God? Jesus showed us this clearly in and through the cross. Paul paints a beautiful picture of that act in the second chapter of Philippians.

Am I willing to step out and suffer loss for someone I may not even know? Can I empty myself to the point that all that matters is undying obedience to the one who calls me?

Thoughts?

May God, who spared not his Son shine graciously upon you today.

The Love story of God

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the Law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'
Jesus replied: 'Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" [Matt. 22:34-40]

In my mind that is probably the most powerful statement ever made. Why? Because Jesus, in two statements re-defined for the religous ruling party what God expected of them. What's going on here?

The Sadducees get schooled by Jesus and the Pharasees get all excited. I'm not seeing where God is involved there. They decide to test Jesus with a question. A big one in fact, as there were some 613 or so different commands that needed to be followed in order to 'make God happy' That darn letter of the Law!

What they get is not the satisfaction of being right, but they get a love story! Jesus say's that the most important thing to do is love God. The second is to love others. Everything else is filtered through those two things. If you aren't doing that, you are missing God. I find it no concidence that an "expert" in the law put the question forth. They are busy protecting the law, making sure everyone follows the law Their job is to enforce the law. OF ALL PEOPLE, he should have known this! He was one of Israel's teachers.

The prophet Micah rebuked the rulers of his day for the same thing. They were more concerned with the offerings being right than they were their hearts. Micah said they should know better because God had showed them and told them how they should be. "He has showed you O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." [Micah 6:8]

Love God, Love people. It's about manifesting the power of God through loving him and others. In this way we become like Jesus. It's God's Love story, as RBC had in the devotional this morning.

"If we have not love we are a resounding gong or a clanging symbol." [1 Cor 13:1] Maybe that's why so many in the world don't care what the church has to offer. We are just making a lot of noise, and have not love...

Screw up someone's world today: Love them because God first loved you and ask for nothing in return.

Back to it

Good morning all. After a week off it is time to get back to it. "Vacations are highly underrated", George P Wood said this past week and I tend to agree.

We must all step back, take time to recharge and refocus. For some reason we tend to feel guilty for taking ourselves out of the loop for any amount of time. Don't!

This is going to be a great year. Many changes and challenges lay ahead. Depending on how we approach each issue will determine whether it is a problem or an opportunity.

God's richest blesssings to you for 2011. May you soar as high as God desires you to. Never be afraid to step into something new! Never be intimidated by a task that seems daunting. It is there that God drives us in order to show his power.

Be blessed in all you do this coming year.