Sinner's Church

Muddy Waters, Motorcycles, and Mud Pies!!

2010-05-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Muddy Waters absolutely RAWKS!! Most people have heard of Muddy Waters...few ever hear him. Literally, I could listen to Muddy Waters all day long!! He started in the pre-electric age of acoustic blues...he could pick a guitar and play a harmonica like a madman, but his true talent was writing!! Woooo!! You want to get your blood pumping to some music and simply GROOVE a while?? Muddy Waters is your man!! Listen to him today!!

I have been riding motorcycles since I was young. I remember my pop taking me on rides when I was like four on his Honda and me blowing the horn the entire time...cause I sat in front of him...lol. There's something extremely relaxing and liberating about just jumping on the bike and riding!! Go anywhere!! See anything!! By the way...it's amazing how much more I see on the bike than in a car!! There is also a great friendship between all bikers that comes in handy when you want to be social!! You want freedom?? You want to see the world around you that you've been missing?? Go get on a bike!!

Mud Pies!! I love mud pies!! Not the kind you make by mixing dirt and water...though that IS fun!! I'm talking about these awesome desserts my Tennessee family members make!! Mmmmmmmmm....they are made in this yummy pie crust with pecans, chocolate pudding, icing, whipp cream, peanuts and white chocolate drizzle....Sweet mother!! If that don't sound good to you then you are going to HATE Heaven...cause I think Mud Pies will be served daily there!!

In three short paragraphs...less than 2 minutes to say each of them...I have given examples of EVANGELISM.

I told you about something I have experienced...that I think is AWESOME...and have altered my life in such a way that I literally get pumped up about it when I talk!!!

THAT IS EVANGELISM!!! And it is the commandment..direct order...The Commission from Jesus Christ, Son of God...to every one of us who have accepted Jesus in our hearts!!

It's funny...so many of us go to church...talk to church friends...struggle to walk right in God's eyes...but we IGNORE the very command of our Savior!!

"But Gus...it's uncomfortable talking about Jesus." -- Then you have never met Him!!

Then you have never met Jesus. Period.

I'll say it again so that there is no confusion: If talking about the Son of the living God that died on a cross naked and bleeding in front of people that hated Him just so that YOU might have an opportunity to live with Him eternally embarrasses you...THEN YOU HAVE NEVER MET HIM!!

I just lost a lot of people right there. But this ain't a post to make you feel good, this is a Bible site. The Bible is true. The Bible is the living word of God. The Bible is our reference to everything.

My statement is Biblical!!

I can reference over 200 instances (and that's off the top of my head and I'm pretty ignorant) where people met Jesus (both in person and spiritually) and went forward to spread the news to EVERYONE they knew!!

So if the Bible gives us clear examples of what people do when they have a REAL encounter with Jesus...AND we have a standing order from Jesus to do that very thing (Go Tell People About Him!)...then why do you think your meeting with Him should be different???

Are you that special?? Was Jesus talking to everyone except you?? Hmmm....

We can talk about our favorite sport with co-workers and friends and people we don't even know.

We can talk about our favorite TV shows and movies with co-workers and friends and people we don't even know.

We can talk about our favorite foods and restaurants with co-workers and friends and people we don't even know.

We can talk about politics with co-workers and friends and people we don't even know.

But we refuse to talk about the single most important thing...the thing that matters most with them.

Cause here's the deal: The Braves, LOST, Olive Garden, and Health Care Reform ain't going to matter in 200 years...The Gospel of Jesus Christ absolutely WILL!!! And it's our duty as followers of Jesus to talk about it!!

"Love one another." -Jesus

I Can't Hear You...Cause God's Talking!! (Moses and Slaves)

2010-04-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing to read through Exodus and I am continuing to be blown away by almost every verse in it!! Today I cam across this:

"May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." -Exodus 5:21

These are the words coming from the very people that Moses had been sent to save in Egypt! They cursed him...they rallied against him...they despised him.

At this point, Moses had come to Pharaoh on God's orders and had commanded that the people be set free...Pharaoh had ordered extra work from all of the Israelites in response. But before he had gone to Pharaoh, Moses had sat down and explained everything to the Israelites and they had understood completely and believed that Moses was there on God's behalf.

What an awkward and frustrating position Moses was in!! Here he was...doing God's will...trying to help people...but the very people he was there to help and support were cursing him!! How would you handle that?? I'd probably have told them how ungrateful they were and then went back to Pharaoh and said "Give me a whip..."!! Of course...about that time, God would've probably smacked me with a bolt of lightning too...

Good thing that never happens today!! Good thing Churches and Christians never turn on people trying to help them when times get tough these days...

I hate to say it, but it is VERY common today!! It is so common that I hate to think of the number of people that have been called to do glorious things in God's name and lead thousands to Christ in the process....who have simply given up because the very people and system that they were there to support...turned on them.

How many preachers waste more time critiquing and criticizing other churches and denominations than they do supporting and leading their very own flock?? How many organizations refuse to entertain the thought allowing others in because they are "different"??

Here's a prime example: As a youth minister, I am constantly looking for things to edify and entertain my youth!! I'm good....but whew...help is always needed. So when I get a call (which is rare) from people wanting to speak or play for my youth, I almost always invite them over!! Most youth directors guard their groups with a heated passion...deflecting any attempts that might come from the outside and criticizing anyone who doesn't come out of the normal channels with the normal degrees and the normal training, like graduating from cemetery...oops...I mean seminary.

They're afraid someone else might get the credit...they're afraid someone else might lead their youths to Christ...bottom line: They're afraid someone might take they're job!!

Let me tell you what Moses knew: God hired him and only God could fire him. The same goes for youth directors and pastors and anyone working at a Church!! So if you're constantly worried someone might come take your "job", then your "job" is already lost cause you took your eyes off Jesus a while back!!

Moses found something out about following God. He found out that it ain't always the people far from God that come after you...sometimes it's the very people you are helping!!

Moses also sets the example: Without a word...he simply kept following God. So what if they were angry with his words to Pharaoh...So what if they didn't approve of his methods...So what if they didn't support his actions.

They weren't his words, methods, and actions to begin with...They were the words, methods, and actions of God!! And brother...when you're following God and you are answering to THAT higher power and not some self appointed church body, board of deacons, event committee, convention, organization, denominational group, or even government...when you're truly following the LORD, everything that those other groups do or yell or scream or say falls on deaf ears and blind eyes!!

The Bible doesn't address how Moses responded to the naysayers, but the lack of response says it all to me! He simply walked on by, knowing he was there to do God's work...not to please some congregation of bench warmers who claimed to know the most high God, but when the going got rough, they simply forgot how powerful He truly was!!! Moses walked on by and prayed to God...wow...that's true faith and strength right there!!

I look at my son and I know that he and his generation will brings new ideas and methods to Christianity that none of us have thought of...and that I will probably not like all of them. But I pray that I look for Jesus in everything and that Christ be my measuring stick...not my own personal preferences.

One last thing: Moses came to free the Israelites so that they could worship and follow God...But the process was uncomfortable (for both Moses and the Israelites). In my experience, following God always has a level of discomfort. Are you uncomfortable??

"Love one another." -Jesus

God = Frustration (Moses)

2010-04-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

Okay...sorry to do this...I have been reading through Exodus and the story of Moses and have come across a TON of things to write about in the first 5 chapters...but this one slapped me in the face.

For those that don't know, Moses was this murderer who dealt with anger issues, self esteem issues, hardheadedness, and many other problems...but he was the one that God chose to represent Him in front of pharaoh. (Don't ya love how God never chooses the people that have it all together?? Awesome to a loser like me!!)

Well...Moses gets his orders (which is a super cool story too) and packs up his house to go and visit pharaoh as God told Him.

THEN God says to him on the way to Egypt: The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. -Exodus 4:21

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!! I thought that when you follow God everything was supposed to be great and easy??

Unfortunately...the Bible doesn't say that anywhere...and Moses is finding that out first hand!!

First off...He has to travel back into a land where he is wanted for murder!! You ever walked into a room where someone was that didn't like you?? Okay...multiply that feeling by infinity!!

Secondly...God gives Moses all these AWESOME miracles to perform and to show Pharaoh and the people of Egypt what an AWESOME God he serves...But God is going to harden Pharaohs heart on purpose so that he won't believe and the miracles will have no effect?? I'm sure Moses was rolling his eyes and thinking "Greeeeeeaaaat..."

Sometimes I look around and I wonder why others cannot see the transformation I have seen. I wonder why others do not see the joy, purpose, and new life and how awesome it is to know Jesus!! It's so obvious to me...yet to them...it has no effect. Many times I have wondered how people can be so ugly and mean when I have repaid them with nothing but kindness...

No where in the Bible does God promise us an easy road...no where. As a matter of fact, Jesus said we WOULD be persecuted...not "might" or "possibly" or even "some of you"...He said that we all would be persecuted...

Imagine how Moses felt as he performed miracles and Pharaoh just laughed and refused to believe...

Here's the hard part for a lot of us: Moses knew that he was there to do God's will and that's all!! If three people followed him out of Egypt or if 30,000 people followed him. All Moses could do was tell them about God and what God was doing through him.

For many of us...we've wasted so much of our time trying to convince Pharaoh to believe in God when there's a crowd of people eagerly waiting right outside the doors...

All we can do is tell people about God and what He is doing through us...and move on. The ones that receive the message will follow...the others we must trust to God and His will.

** Thank you guys for reading!! I appreciate the opportunity to share the things I learn as I read through my Bible. I am available most every day if you ever want to email me or have questions. **

"Love one another." -Jesus

I love God...I just don't trust Him...

2010-04-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

Every single day, millions of Americans participate in some of the most extreme worship services ever generated in the history of the world. These services are not held in temples, or tabernacles, or even in sanctuaries. These worship services are held on things like radio...TV...and the Internet. The arena and spectacle of politics in our society has become overwhelmingly consuming for many of us...drawing lines in the sand and dividing houses over issues that we rarely have any control over personally.

Now, two things you should know:

1 - I do not like government or political drama at all. I'm not Republican...I'm not Democrat. I feel that we have allowed our system to get into a state of disrepair. I also feel VERY strongly that we should NEVER argue over politics...if you honestly feel strongly about a subject...then show me the physical hours you have logged WORKING to support that subject (and not year 2000 type work such as blogging and writing...1940's style work that actually requires you to get up, get out, and DO something!). But let that be your argument...not mere words.

2 - If you are offended already, then I am probably talking about you being the worshiper. If you're not, then read on. Remember though...I'm just an idiot that happens to love reading the Bible and spending time with God...Do not take my word for anything!!

Here's the biblical part and the part I would honestly like feedback on since I am still making my way through the entire Bible:

I'm finishing reading up in Samuel I and it is occurring to me that Saul hunted David fiercely...I mean...King Saul spent every resource he had to hunt David!! And in chapter 24, David is hiding while Saul is doing his "business" (yep...seriously...gotta read your Bible man, it's got some strange stuff) and David sneaks up and cuts a small piece of cloth off the kings robe. David then confronts Saul and shows him the piece of cloth as he falls on his face apologizing to Saul for what he had done!!

Now wait...let's recap: Saul hunts David. Saul wants to kill David. David cuts small piece of cloth off Saul's robe. David bows down crying and apologizing to Saul!! Huh??

David goes on to explain that Saul is the chosen king. He has been placed as king of Israel and since we serve a sovereign God that is all knowing and all powerful, then obviously God is in control...and why should he (David) do anything against God!!

Wow!! That's powerful...but...wait a minute...maybe that was just David! Let's see...hmmm...oh! Let's check others:

Joseph served a king that did MANY things that he did not believe in...yet he served.

Daniel served a wicked set of kings as the only believer in God in the entire court!! They were always changing the gods they served! They were violent, irrational, prone to blasphemy, etc. He and his brethren were threatened repeatedly and even sentenced to death...yet Daniel continued to serve.

Paul operated his entire ministry under the watchful eye of an empire that despised him and the people he preached to. He was beaten...battered...threatened...imprisoned...almost killed...then eventually assassinated. Yet he constantly claimed that while we serve a higher authority...we must serve those that God has chosen to lead us.

Peter also operated under the same empire and more specifically under Nero...a man who chose to burn Christians alive as torches along the city streets..yet Peter continuously told us that all power comes from God and that those in power were chosen by Him.

Finally and most importantly, Jesus...who more than once spoke about authority both from God and from government. Matthew 22:21 is the famous "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s”. A statement that has been used and abused, but basically tells us to honor God first and then those He has placed over us.

Now's the best time to remind you guys that I do not like politics AT ALL!! I don't think Democrats are okay....and I don't think Republicans are okay. I dislike them all equally....BUT....

Do you read of political protests in the Bible??

Even when they imprisoned the apostles...do you read of protests??

Even when they burned Christians alive...do you read of boycotting of oils??

Even when they threw leaders into the dens of lions...do you read of smack talking debates??

Even when they killed our KING on cross and ridiculed Him in public...do you read of hate speeches or revolts??

The list goes on and on, but I say all this to say:

Why do we allow something that God is in control of...to consume SO MUCH of our worry...our time...our emotions??

Why do we allow something that our all powerful God is in control of to divide our families, define our friendships, and destroy our churches??

Why do we intensely worship for hours a day at the computer, radio, or TV over something that God has already decided...yet we get mad if the preacher goes past noon and then can barely remember what he even said??

Maybe I'm off base...Maybe there is something in the Bible I have not read yet...Maybe...or....Maybe we should just trust the God that we all call sovereign...we call All Knowing...All Powerful...Almighty...Maybe we should just trust Him like we claim to.

John Calvin once wrote: “If it has seemed good to God to set kings over kingdoms, senates or municipal officers over free cities, it is our duty to show ourselves compliant and obedient to whomever he sets over the places where we live”

"Love one another." -Jesus ("One another" refers to everyone...even Obama...even Bush...even Bin Laden...even your mother-in-law. I know it's tough...but if you disagree, that's between you and Jesus.)

Hey! Let's Go Stone Jesus!! (Palm Sunday)

2010-04-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

So, as most of you know, I'm an idiot when it comes to church days and customs and stuff. Well, today is Palm Sunday and we celebrate the ride that Jesus took on a donkey into Jerusalem...thus fulfilling the ancient prophecies told centuries before. I like the story and I enjoyed reading it as I read through the New Testament a few months ago...but as I am re-reading it now in preparation for Easter, this story hits deep!!

Here is Jesus, riding a donkey that had never been ridden through the gates of Jerusalem! People are shouting and cheering for Him!! They are excited!! They love Him!! They are praising Him as they lay Palm branches before Him...a sign of great royal honor!! It was truly an exciting time...for the people.

You see...I have to stop and imagine how Jesus was feeling at this moment. He hadn't come back to be part of some grand parade in His honor!! He knew the facts...He knew the future...He knew that He had come back to die an absolutely horrifying death on a cross after being beaten within an inch of His life and taunted mercilessly!!

The people were quite confused as well...they thought Jesus had come to save them...liberate them...empower them...and elevate them!! They called Him king...but they were not aware of what was about to happen.

Flash forward a few days and suddenly we see these same massive crowds that had been cheering and praising Jesus only days before...now they are cursing Him as He carries His own cross...they are spitting on Him as He passes by...these very same people who so loved Him are now throwing stones at Him as He falls under the weight of the cross He is carrying.

For many of us, every single Sunday is like Palm Sunday!! You see...we go to church. We sit in our pew. We listen to the preacher. We sing praises. We talk about what Jesus has done in our lives. We mention prayers we need asked on our behalf. We say amen from time to time. We communicate to everyone around us through actions and words that we LOVE Jesus and that we are so happy He came into our presence.

Then...a few days later...after the Sunday meals have been eaten and the nice suits and dresses have been changed out of...maybe we are at work...or with friends...or by ourselves. A few days later, we curse Jesus through our actions! We spit in His face through our thoughts and deeds! We throw stones at Him through our countless sins we refuse to correct in our lives.

Yes...many of us are EXACTLY like the crowd on Palm Sunday back then...sad but true.

Oh...by the way...the absolutely AMAZING thing about back then and today??? Jesus is ALIVE and Jesus is still willing to suffer the beatings...endure the curses...carry the cross...and forgive you and I of our sins!! He did it that very day for the crowds and He has done it every day since!!

You see, when Jesus died on the cross, it wasn't for a few sins!! It wasn't for some sins!! It wasn't for most sins!!

It was for ALL of our sins!!! I ask you today: DO YOU KNOW HIM?? Do you?? Have you had that radical meeting with Jesus that changes who you are from the inside out?? Do you know Him?? Do you??

If you don't...I beg you to take a moment and seek Him out. As you read this, the small voice tugged at you a little bit. I know...it freaks me out too!! But that is God asking you to let Him in!! You don't have to change...The change will occur through His undeniable love and grace!! You will WANT to change once you meet Him and His glory!!

I know you walked an aisle when you were younger...or got christened as a baby...or told some man in a collar behind a screen all your sins...or said three hail Mary's...or got dunked in a swimming pool back when all the other kids were doing it...or grew up in a church going family and was told that would get you in...

But unless the change is evident...Unless the change is radical...Unless the change is apparent...Unless the change is supernatural...Then I have four words: Do You Know Him??

You don't need a church....you don't need a Bible...you don't need a preacher...you don't need a life coach. You need a savior!!! Thank God we all have one just waiting for us all to invite Him into our hearts!!

Woooooooooooooo!!!

I love you guys!!

"Love one another." -Jesus

Five Reasons We Don't Like Church!!!

2010-02-19T11:46:00.001-08:00

I recently had several great conversations regarding Church and even had quite a little paradigm shift of my own occur in the process. This...in addition to now being on staff full time at a small country Baptist church in Ocilla...is what brings us to this topic.

First...allow me to give you a brief history on me and church: I was born and raised Methodist...but we were like most families in America in that we went (I say I got dragged) every Sunday...but that was the only day we heard, spoke, or even prayed really. I think my parents went through some religious phases...but never strong enough for it to bleed through to the family as a whole. So we were, in effect, Sunday Christians. The church was a decent family unit. They cared for everyone inside the four walls and everyone shook hands and played nice, but I personally don't recall ever feeling that there was any unity or love there. It was stuffy...cold...rigid...boring. Of course...these are my impressions and I am sure that plenty of people felt the opposite. But...

As a result, when I became a teen, I started turning away from church. As I developed into my twenties...without Jesus in my life, I formed aggressive opinions on how the church was useless and more of a mind control of the masses. By my thirties, I had written off Christianity and certainly the church...let me rephrase: I could tolerate Christians but I was vehemently opposed to church of any kind.

Once I got saved about a year ago...I still had no need for a church, but felt like I could go if I could find the right man (preacher) to follow!! So I started shopping...and shopping...and shopping. I got a great sampler of quite a few churches and denominations, but could not find a preacher I liked!! Then I walked in Holt Baptist and BAM!!! Love swarmed over me like nothing I had ever experienced!! The people generally cared and loved me...and they had just met me!! It was very bizarre and freaked me out. Since that time, I have come to understand the importance of Church (notice the big "C" now). As I explained to a young lady the other evening: "You know how you felt after being saved...and how you wish you could've been feeling that way all along?? Well...when you find the right Church, you'll experience the exact same feeling...it'll be like WOW!!! I've been missing out!!"

Okay...on to the list:

1 - Church is FULL of hypocrites!!! As Zig Ziglar says "Well come on...we got room for one more!!"

It's true...Church IS full of hypocrites!! But...let's look closely...There definitely ARE those that stand up and speak out against sexually immorality and then run home and jump on the internet to browse porn. That is a true definition of hypocrite. But I am honestly finding that to be the exception...not the norm. The real problem is how the outside world defines Christians. You see...most people hear that you are a Christian and assume that you are now perfect...which is outlandish!! That's like hearing a 400lb friend has joined a gym and expecting him to be 180lbs and ripped when you see him next week!!

So when people see Christians messing up, they immediately say "Freaking Hypocrites!!"...but it's not their fault....it's OURS!! You see...for too long, the system (church) has stood silent on the fact that we are ALL SINNERS...and that as Christians we strive for perfection with the understanding that we will always...ALWAYS and FOREVER...fall short of that goal and the glory of God!!

Imagine if preachers everywhere started standing up and saying "Wow...I am seriously screwed up!! I sin every day!!". You think that's a crazy thought?? Paul did it...repeatedly!! Is your preacher on Paul's level?? So what makes him better?? The more we inform the outside world that we are imperfect...the sooner the argument of "I don't go to Church cause they are all full of hypocrites" will go away.

2 - Church people are judgemental...And...the Bible says not to judge so also see #1!!

Again we are faced with two issues: Christians misbehaving...and people outside the Church having a distorted view. You see...There definitely are Christians who adopt the "holier than thou" mentality and wield the Bible like a Golden Spatula in Bikini Bottom!! But really...who cares!! That's really no different than you thinking New Orleans is a great city or that cats are not from the devil!! (**both are severely incorrect and the Bible says so!!). But seriously...who cares if a handful of people disagree with you?? I challenge you to go and join any other large group on the planet and not have at least a few people that disagree!! Church ain't no different!!

As for the outside...We live in a judgemental society...as a matter of fact...we are a judgemental species and always have been!! Laws are nothing more than judgements. Your internal "Right and Wrong Meter" is essentially judgement. Let's face it...we judge people ALL of the time!! Murderers are judged and considered unfit for society...as are pedophiles and rapists. No one has an issue with THOSE judgements...lol.

We tend to use the "Judgemental Card" when sin in our own life is being exposed. It's tough...take it from a guy who deals with it weekly!! LOL...but the fact is that Christians have a divinely inspired book of history, prophecy, rules, and commandments that guide us. There are some things that are debatable (Did Noah inspect every creature to see male/female and how did he know on frogs?) and there are others that are set in stone (like the Ten Commandments....literally). But the point is that we have a clear understanding through the Word of what sin is AND we are called to destroy it in our personal lives and help others do the same...through love.

If you are homosexual and walk into any of the Churches I visited on my shopping spree, I promise you that you would be greeted with absolute open arms and invited to PLEASE come back!! These people judged you and said "He's homosexual...and seeking God." Does the Church, as a loving body of Christ have an obligation to approach you eventually and discuss homosexuality with you?? YES!! They are mandated by God to do so...If it's done in LOVE and you still have an issue with it...then that's on you. By the way...if Homosexuallity is a touchy subject, then insert Liar, Thief, Drunkard, Idolator, Adulterer, or a multitude of other sins in there and they'll work just as well...it's all the same in God's eyes anyway...

Now...Churches...Jesus said "Be careful HOW you judge...because you will be judged the same way by your Heavenly Father." He also said that we should not judge people hypocritically...in other words...if you have a problem with anger...you probably are not the right person (biblically) to approach another brother about his anger issues!! Also...Since this is our Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, we MUST hold each other to the highest standards when it comes to dealing with sensitive issues! Love, Love, Love!!

3 - Church is BORING!!! Stop being lazy and go find you a Church that fits your style!! Look...I decided that I would consider any church as long as two things were solid: 1) They preach from the Bible!! 2) They believe in The Gospel (Christ crucified and resurrected). As long as those two requirements are met, it's a solid church in my opinion...so find one with the flair you enjoy!!

4 - The Church just wants my money!!! Here's the deal: God said we are to tithe 10%...So unless they're standing at the pulpit screaming "You need to give ten to forgive your sin!!"....or..."Write us a check or your life will be a wreck!!"...then I'd say they are just doing what God has told them to do as good shepherds and that is to ask the flock to follow Jesus. Now...if you disagree with God...that's tween y'all.

5 - Sunday is my day off and I like sleeping in!!! Well...first off...there are many Churches that offer later services. Find one!! If there's not one in your area, then sleep in...but just remember that Christ HUNG ON A FREAKING CROSS NAKED AND BLEEDING SO THAT OUR HEATHEN SELVES COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND ETERNITY IN HEAVEN WITH HIM...I think the least you could do is get up at 10am on Sunday and go worship Him once a week.

Look...the bottom line is that you DO NOT have to go to Church to get to Heaven or even be a Christian!! No where in the Bible does it state that (so far as I have seen...lol). BUT...trust me when I tell you that finding the Church that God has for you...and experiencing the awesome worship and fellowship along the way...is SO incredibly worth it!!!

** New Orleans nor Cats are mentioned as evil in the Bible...the author was joking!!

"Love your neighbor as yourself." -Jesus

Son, I Brought You Into This World...I Will Take You OUT!! (Abraham & Isaac)

2010-02-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

We all have guilty pleasures...and I have been trying to follow the "garbage in...garbage out" rule as far as my entertainment goes, but I love The Family Guy. One of the best clips ever is where Peter references the time that God told Abraham to kill Isaac...and the scene flashes over to Abraham Lincoln standing on The Love Boat and shooting Isaac the bartender...

I'm sure we've all heard something about the real story of Abraham and Isaac in the Bible. You know...the one where God comes to Abraham at like 100 years old and says "Hey! You're about to father a son...and many, many, many, more family will follow!! So...Grab Sarah...throw on some Marvin Gaye and get it on!!"

So they have a son named Isaac...then one day, God comes to Abraham and says "Hey...about that son. Take him to a mountain and sacrifice him."

Yep...so Abraham packs up the horses...a few servants...his son...and they start walking until God reveals the mountain where it should take place. Once there, Abraham tells the servants that he and the boy are going up and that they will be back...all the while slipping a huge Rambo knife into his boot strap!!

As they get to the top of the mountain, Isaac looks over at his father and says...so where is the sacrifice?? Abraham replies that God will provide and builds an altar...then proceeds to lie Isaac down on it and raises the knife.

Just then the Angel of the Lord appears and stops Abraham!! He tells Abraham that because he trusted in the Lord, he will be blessed many times over through children that will inhabit all the nations!! Also...suddenly there is a huge ram that is stuck in the vines nearby...and they sacrifice it instead.

Okay...I'll say it...This is an odd story!! Kinda sadistic even!! I mean...really?? Go kill your only son that God gave you??

But then it starts to make sense...check it out:

0 - Not really a point to the story, but Abraham was freaking 100 years old before he even had Isaac...NEVER think you are too old to serve God in AMAZING ways!! You might be in the 4th quarter of your life, but remember...most points are scored during the last 2 minutes of a football game!!

1 - Notice that even though it was his only son, Abraham NEVER QUESTIONED God!! Also...I've always seen or just understood this to be some great dilemma for Abraham, but as I read the story, there is NO SIGN that concern, doubt, or sadness ever crossed Abrahams mind!! He simply said "Ok...let's pack it up guys...we need to find a mountain!"

2 - Genesis 22:5 is SO key to understanding this story...it hit me like a ton of bricks!! "He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

Notice Abraham told the servants "...WE will come back to you." I read this and thought to myself...Did Abraham lie?? He knew he was there to kill Isaac!! But you see...that's the whole point!! Abraham trusted in God so much that he KNEW God would handle the situation!!

3 - Not convinced?? How about when Isaac asked where the offering was and Abraham said: "Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together." Genesis 22:8

"God will provide the lamb..."!!! Abraham is not lying...or shuffling his feet!! He is trusting FULLY in the Lord to handle the situation!!! AND HE DOES (umm...Ram in vines...hello!!!)

Look...I don't know about you, but I LONG for the same type of relationship these OT guys had with God!! I know it is possible...He's the same God as back then!! But...in order to have that type of relationship, we must first have that type of faith...and WOW...that's a tall order!!

I think this story is so key because it shows us that, Yes! God will test us at times...and Yes! Those times can be tough and unpleasant...If we allow them to be!! If we try to handle the situation ourselves!! If we choose to stop trusting in God instead of relinquishing all control to Him!!

I see neither tough times nor unpleasant times in Abraham through this story...He had ABSOLUTE faith that God was in ABSOLUTE control!! That's awesome!!

One Jesus...One Love...His Love!!

2010-01-10T21:51:00.001-08:00

Jesus said many times throughout The New Testament that we as Christians will be persecuted just as He was persecuted. I actually delivered a message on this recently, but for some reason it just stuck in my brain (lots of empty space up there)...then it dawned on me why...I delivered the message backwards. I was preaching about the un-churched persecuting Christians!

How was Jesus persecuted? More to the point...Who persecuted Jesus? The un-churched...sure they did...but who more than them? That's right...the church itself.

I find myself at a point where I know my involvement in ministry is starting to make a difference due to the fact that more and more people on both sides are beginning to get upset. Now...understand that I am not out to make anyone upset purposely, but if me speaking on the Word of God ruffles feathers, I will never apologize!!

There is a mixed bag of emotions that comes with being an "on fire for God" Christian. There is sadness, frustration, and even peace.

The peace comes from Psalm 35 written by David...a man after God's own heart. The peace comes from hearing God speak and seeing Him move in my life. The peace comes from understanding that I, nor any other human, have control over events and the future.

The sadness comes from those that expect failure. Those that search for motives. Those that turn away in disagreement. Those that refuse to accept the change. Those that long for the old ways.

I expected the sadness. I knew that there would be old friends that would not understand the conversion. I mean...when you have partied beside someone and almost destroyed a small country with them, the change can seem dramatic. I knew there would be friends that would not get it and would turn away. Heck, I imagine even Paul had a few old Christian-killing buddies drop by his place a time or two after his conversion wanting him to go hunting!! They probably left saying things like:

"It won't last..."
"Saul is working an angle..."
"He'll be back with us in a few months...it's just a phase..."
"Ole Saul thinks he is just too good for us now..."

The frustration comes from those that look down their nose at others who are young in Christ. Those that place God in a formula and attempt to manage His worship. Those that cannot seem to see that Jesus's blood binds us ALL TOGETHER as Christians regardless of denominations. Those that are quick to critique but slow to help. Those that are immersed in self righteousness.

I have to say up front that while I expected the sadness, I had no idea about the frustration!! I mean...I thought: "Okay...well some friends will not understand, but no matter what I'll have a home in the church!" I mean...it's church!! We all believe in salvation through Jesus and that makes us all the same, right? Wow...was I wrong.

** Note that when I used the word church back then, it really meant organized religion or "The System". I have since come to see what Christ meant by the Church (notice the capitalization) through my experiences with true loving bodies of Christ!! True Church is amazing...and I encourage EVERYONE to seek it out!! **

As for "The System"...News Flash: You are DYING and DECAYING!!! It is sad to watch...as most are filled with well-intentioned Christians.

You are asphyxiating on endless rules and regulations on "proper worship". You are uninspiring through canned sermons and activities absent of The Holy Spirit. You are undeveloping in your focus on numbers and stats in an effort to gain monetary rewards through a higher man-made organization instead of God Himself. You are hypocritical in your longing for growth but only by YOUR rules...instead of Gods.

Let me be clear: Your awesome knowledge about The Bible, God, and Jesus make you a high ranking, modern day Pharisee...if you use that awesome knowledge to limit the Kingdom of God!!

What does it matter:

What someone wears to worship our Lord?
How long someone has been saved?
What sins they struggle with?
What ceremonial rituals they have performed?
How much they give?
What good deeds they have done?
Where they spent last Saturday night?

If they are coming to the House of the Lord...LET THEM IN!!! Get out of the way and let GOD work!!!

Stop trying to put Him in a box...cause there is none big enough. Stop trying to make following Jesus into a formula cause we ain't smart enough. Stop trying to predict who God will work through (and how) because we simply cannot.

I'm not saying that I have it all figured out...heck...I'm first to admit that I am ignorant except for what insights God has blessed me with. But I know this: We'd see a worldwide revival of unprecedented proportions if we'd just....

Get out of the way...and let God work!!

It is sad indeed, but as The System dies...The Church will strive!! Current leaders will catch the fire anew and congregations will be filled with The Spirit!! New Churches will be planted with leaders that preach The Word...not an agenda!! Churches who aren't afraid to have bright signs over both the entrance AND the exit!! This new revolution will be filled with leaders and laypersons who are not afraid to stand up and say "I am a sinner just like you!!". It will be amazing to watch God work and hopefully....hopefully...be a small part of it if He desires!!

As for this message...the people that would benefit most from it will not read it. I am a baby in Christ and in their eyes, my perspective means nothing. But I was reminded yesterday as I sat at a table talking to a young man (previously a stranger) about accepting Jesus...I have been called to minister to Youth and the un-churched (notice I said un-churched and not un-saved...there are countless people in Church that are not saved).

And it is to those babes in Christ (What an awesome name for an all girl Christian band...Babes In Christ) that I hope this message is delivered. Do not concern yourself with hoops to jump through and regulations to be followed. Follow God!! Trust in God!! Maybe He will lead you through some of those very hoops and regulations...but if He doesn't, just know that by confessing your sins and truly accepting Jesus...you are in The Kingdom regardless!!

One Jesus...One Love...His Love!!

Giving Jesus the Finger!!

2010-01-06T10:19:00.001-08:00

Let me start by saying that whenever Jesus speaks in the Bible...I pay close attention. In the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John there are tons of parables that Jesus told as a way of teaching.

I have heard people say time and again that "The Bible says XYZ, therefore it is the gospel." I happen to agree with that statement...BUT...most of the time when I have heard people say this, they are referring to what they THINK a story in the Bible means...not what the actual words in the Bible say...Huge difference!

I say all of this because parables are stories that have underlying meaning. That meaning can be understood various ways...So, as usual, I encourage everyone to read the scripture yourself so that you might gleam your own personal understanding!!

Okay...In Matthew 18:10-14, Jesus tells the story of the Lost Sheep. He is initially referring to a child, but I always connect children to all of us being children of God. He basically says "Hey! If you have a hundred sheep and one goes missing...don't you leave the ninety-nine and go to find the one?"

He then says "And once you find the missing one...don't you rejoice over it being found and brought t there to safety that day more so than you do over the ninety-nine that never stayed?"

Hmmm....It might be hard for us to relate this to sheep, unless you are one of those rare Facebook/Twitter/Techno sheppards out there sleeping in the fields with your sheep and Crackberry on your hip...So let's relate it to children!

If you and I had a 100 children (wow..we've been busy!) and one went missing, would we just say "Oh well...darn." or would we be calling out the National freaking Guard to find that one lost child?? We all know we'd go after the lost one.

And as much as we like to say we'd beat the living snot out of them for going missing...we'd actually hug the living snot out of them once we found them!!

Now think about this...would this be true if the child wandered off? How about if the child was abducted? Now...how about if the child ran away?? I'm pretty sure we'd all react the same way in either of the three circumstances...

Well, that's what Jesus was talking about! It doesn't matter WHY you have been missing...He is constantly looking to find you and welcome you back!!

Why does this scripture effect me?? Well, I personally deal with tons of inner demons. For the longest time, when I would screw up and sin, I would be ashamed to pray...ashamed to read my Bible...ashamed to hang around my Christian friends...etc. But that's not how God works!! This passage tells us this. He opens His arms EVEN WIDER and smiles EVEN WIDER when we return!! God knows we're gonna sin...he made us imperfect!!

Being too ashamed to ask for forgiveness, pray, read the Bible, or go to church is what I call "Giving Jesus The Finger!" It's the devil playing on our human weaknesses.

I mean REALLY! There Jesus is pinned to a cross with these huge nails...crown of thorns...gash in His side...bleeding everywhere so that each of us can be forgiven and we have the AUDACITY and ARROGANCE to say: "Umm...gee-wiz Jesus...thanks, but I just don't feel like I deserve your love right now..."

You might as well be shooting Him a bird while He's on the cross...

I've done some REALLY bad things in my life. I mean...I have broken 10 of the 10 commandments, cause Jesus said that thinking it is the same as doing it...and if you've been married, you have at least thought about murder!! LOL...

Not only is this parable for those Christians that stray from time to time, but also for those of you like me who have basically made a living out of straying in the past!!

"In the same way, it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish." -Matthew 18:14

My New Years Resolution is to be The Moon!!

2009-12-30T07:13:00.001-08:00

While driving at night lately, have you encountered someone that would NOT switch off their brights?? Ugh!! How annoying is that, right??

How did you respond? Usually we have three ways of responding to someone who refuses to turn off their bright lights:

A - We maybe flash our brights once as a courtesy reminder, but otherwise we do nothing.
B - We flash once or twice...then wait until the last minute and switch our brights on (gotcha!).
C - We flash our lights once or twice and then leave our brights on once we figure out that they are not going to turn theirs off.

Well...chances are if you have come across someone in the Ashburn area lately that blinded you and refused to cut their brights off...it was me!! You see...I don't have any dim bulbs in my car...more to the point, I own a complicated Japanese car that is frustratingly tough to replace bulbs in!! LOL!

During this time, it has been very interesting to watch peoples response to me not being able to turn off my brights. Some (I'd say about 25%) fall into category A. They simply flash a time or two and then let it slide.

The other 75% get downright ANGRY!! And you know what....I'd probably fall into that 75% myself!!

So I can across this verse in Matthew the other day and memorized it:

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." -Matthew 7:12

Now that's Jesus talking...and the weight of this one verse is immense!! Sure...some of us take pride in being "nice people" or "generous". We smile...say hello to everyone...go out of our way to help others. That is GREAT!! And it is the first step...but it is also by far the easiest!!

You see, the real question is: How do we RESPOND to people who treat us unfairly??

We live in an age of ego and "fairness" where people get what they deserve (in our own opinions). Most of us are REACTIVE and we respond to others how they treat us first!!

But look at what Jesus said: "In EVERYTHING..." To quote the great Kat Williams: E-ver-ry-thing? E-VER-RY-THING!! Not just your initial actions, but also your responses!!

Man...that's TOUGH!! If some of you are like me, you're reading this and going "Wow...I don't like this at all!!"

LOL...That's the society we have grown up in shining through!! Our movies and TV shows and Novels all defy this one simply commandment from Jesus. When is the last time you saw or read a story where a character "got what he/she deserved!". Hollywood LOVES this style of movie so much that it is in action movies, chic flics, and even cartoons!!

It might be a big pill to swallow, but it's non-negotiable!! Jesus commanded it...we must strive to follow it!!

Let me ask a question: Would YOU be willing to allow God to treat you the way you treat others...just for a day?? I wouldn't want that!! It scares me even thinking about that!!

The moon has no light of it's own. What we see from the moon is just the reflection of the light from the sun.

In many ways, that describes us as Christians. We are to reflect the light and love of The Son. Imagine for a moment if every Christian...not even every person, just every Christian...were to adopt this concept fully for one day!! Reflecting God's undying, unwavering, unconditional, and unending LOVE to everyone we meet!! WOW...imagine the lives that would be changed in just that one day!!

It starts with me. I must take this commandment that Jesus gave in Matthew 7:12 and apply it FULLY to my daily life.

As the New Year approaches, we will all be making vows...most will be to lose weight, get in better shape, save money, etc....But this year, this will be my vow. I will post it on my mirror and in my car. I will do my best to follow it fully.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..." -Matthew 7:12

So A Funny Thing Happened At Work Today... (Jesus is Born)

2009-12-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

So there I was sitting and watching these sheep. Yes, I know...Mom's REAL proud that her son went off and travelled the world spending his inheritance only to come back and have to settle for a job sitting outside in the cold protecting these sheep from jackals and lions with nothing but a stick. Real proud...but HEY! Times are tough!! A man has to work wherever he can and this is honest enough pay!

Only this day, I had drawn the short straw and had to work the night shift!! UGH!!! Why couldn't I had become a shepherd in some other part of the world?? But no...I had to choose an area where we keep the creatures outside 24/7...even in the cold months like these...even at night!! Ugh!!

Oh...and as if it were not bad enough...these were not the well trained sheep we normally cared for...the ones that were many years old and used to the day in and day out of sheep life. No...as the new shepherd in the field I had to watch over these new lambs...the ones being raised specifically for the upcoming passover!! Crazy little things...running all over the place in the dead of night!!

So there I sat with my other fellow "short straw" compadres, complaining about our lots in life and feeling about as helpless as we could feel. When...

BOOM!!! The brightest light I had ever seen suddenly appeared and scared the crap out of me !! I nearly broke my neck trying to get over the other shepherds and run away...sheep flying everywhere!!

Then in the light came the most beautiful sight any of us had ever beheld and we knew...somehow we just knew...that the Angel of the Lord was upon us saying "Don't be afraid. I bring you great news of tremendous joy for ALL people! A Saviour has been born and you will find Him in a manger in the city of David!"

Just then the angel was joined in by a chorus of Heavenly voices!! Then the beautiful sight was matched in their song as they sang of God's Glory, Whirled Peas, and Good Will Hunting. The angel left as quickly as it had come and we all began to discuss what had happened.

Luckily I was set straight on the angels message rather quickly....it was God's Glory, World Peace, and Good Will Towards Men!! Which makes much more sense, because whirled peas are nasty and while Good Will Hunting was a great movie, let's face it...Matt Damon carries Affleck in every movie they do...I mean, I understand friendship, but the guy is just bringing you down Matt!!

Anyway...so there we sat in silent night rather shocked and awe inspired!! Needless to say we all immediately left for nearby Bethlehem to see our new King!! On the way, there were various discussions.

"A manger??" one asked incredulously. "Our new king and savior is in a manger...surrounded by cows and chickens and pigs and sheep?? Would not the grandest palace in Jerusalem be more suitable??"

"Why swaddling clothes?" another asked "He is our king!! He deserves the garments of royalty like that of Herod!!"

"Are we there yet?" asked one of the children...

The question I had I dared not speak aloud...Why us?? Why come and tell us lowly shepherds?? Should not this news be heralded throughout the kings palaces and the mighty synagogues of Jerusalem??? We are nothing but shepherds with no status and no riches...

As we approached the manger it was just as the angel had said! There lay precious 8lb 3oz baby Jesus in swaddling clothes amongst the animals of the land. What a sight to behold!! We told Mary and Joseph of the angel that had come to us!! Excitement raced through each of us as we knelt before our king and one by one left to tell all who would listen of the birth of the Savior, Jesus!!

And thus the story I am telling to you now!! I have seen our Savior lying in the manger...just as the angels told me!! I know that He has been born!! Tell all who will hear this story you have heard from me today...For Jesus Christ is born!!!!!

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." -Luke 2:8-20

I have three points I'd like to share from this scripture:

1 - The angel said "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.". The angel did not say that the good news was for those that believed a certain way....or for those that just believed!! He said that the good news was for ALL people!! I cannot stress that enough: ALL PEOPLE...regardless of their beliefs, attitudes, pasts, or even their spellings of Christmas!!

2 - God chose to reveal the birth of Jesus to shepherds for a fantastic reason. They weren't just the closest group of folks He could find so "they'd do"...He chose shepherds specifically!! They were the "every day working man" of the Bible!! The most humble of social status, yet many great leaders had come from herding sheep (Amos, Moses, David, etc). Jesus came to save EVERYONE and that is evident in the fact that His birth was revealed first to the shepherds and not in the palaces!

3 - These shepherds were the first true disciples!! They met Jesus and then went out and told everyone about Him!! It's truly is THAT SIMPLE!!

The one thing I have to say that I personally regret from this (my first true) Christmas...is that I have not told enough people about Jesus!! I mean...it is the absolute BEST time of the year to tell people about Jesus Christ!! We are surrounded by it everywhere, giving us the perfect setting...the perfect opening line...the perfect topic...it is the PERFECT time of year to witness...Just as those shepherds did immediately following their visit to Bethlehem!! Have we done the same??

Merry Christmas everyone!! Thank you for reading the stories!!

Remember: Love your neighbor as yourself. :)

The Three Day Rule (Jesus and Thomas)

2009-12-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

Reading through John, I realized that Jesus was the creator of the "No Call For Three Day Rule"... You know...you meet a girl and get the digits...the law is that you have to wait three days, right? Stolen from Jesus!!

Most of us know the story: They laid Jesus in the cave and three days later he walked out...Resurrected!! Awesomeness.

Now...as shocking as coming back from the dead is, Jesus had told everyone he was going to do this. So, there was an earthquake on the third day and when Mary Magdaline and another Mary (not His mom) went to annoint the corpse (ritual) they found the boulder moved!! Mary immediately ran to Peter and John to tell them that Jesus' body had been moved...

Well...Peter and John ran to see the empty tomb for himself. An interesting note into John's mentality...he writes: "The two were running together, but the other disciple (John writing about himself) outran Peter and got to the tomb first.".......I love that he takes time to record that he was a faster runner than Peter!! They saw the wrappings and then "believed"...and went home.

But Mary hung out crying...still thinking that someone had moved the body.

There were two angels chilling in the cave waiting...

** I apologize, but for some reason I always think of Angels as Starsky and Hutch type characters...You know 70's bad boy good guys...I have NO idea why... **

So these two angels are lounging around on the rocks in the cave probably discussing who just got their supafly wings, demonstrating knew kung-fu theatre flaming sword moves, or something. Mary walks into the cave crying (still sad) and is astonished...not so much about the angels, but that Jesus is gone.

"Que Pasa? Why you crying chica?" said the hispanic angel.

"Dry up those tears woman! Y'all needs to recognize what's goin down!" said the Shaft Angel.

Mary turns around and see a human man...it takes a minute and then they recognize that it's Jesus! Sweet!

She ran out and immediately informed the disciples of His resurrection. Now, these are guys that had spent every moment with Jesus!! I mean eating, sleeping, walking, running, dying...They knew Jesus better than any...So what's their response?

Thomas was absent. And the others were just "amazed"...I bet they were!!

Jesus visits all of them that evening (except Thomas) and confirms that he has risen. Thomas heard of this and basically said "Whatever clever! Did you feel the holes in his palms?? Then how do you really know."

STOP! This dude had walked with Jesus for a long time and seen miracle after miracle...AND...heard from The Man's very mouth that he would come back!!! Really dude??

So a few days later Jesus met up with Thomas. Thomas immediately knew it was the real deal and exclaimed "My Lord and my God!!"

For the record, Thomas (Doubting Thomas) has been remembered for this mistake, but by all accounts he was a pretty gutsy dude. In the book of John, Jesus is wanting to return to a very hostile land of Judea...the other disciples are resisting...but Thomas jumps up and basically says "Grab your panties you wusses...we're following This Guy where ever He goes...and He's going to Judea!"

Thomas also is the only apostle recorded to have went outside the Roman Empire (known world) to preach the gospel. He traveled well into The PErsian Empire and India. Think about it: This would be like one of us going into The Congo to talk to Warlords about democratic reform!! THAT'S impressive!!

You know...there are a lot of things in this story that make me think...but one thing I can't get over is how Peter and John saw the wraps and believed...then went home. And how the disciples were "amazed" as they were told of Jesus's return...but stayed locked in their house.

But as hard as that is for me to believe...Are we not in the same situation today?? We go to church on Sunday...hear the Gospel...Believe...Be Amazed...then go home. End of story?? Am I going to wait for Jesus to personally come and visit me...show me the scar on His side...let me feel the holes in His hands...before I take ACTION??

I encourage us all to take action...I encourage us all NOT to be content with our own personal knowledge that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was ressurected three days later...But to go out and share this knowledge with the world around us!! Wear it on your sleeve!! Let those around you know!! Don't keep your belief and amazement locked up in your house waiting for Jesus to return!!

"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." -John 20:29

The Worst Day EVER!!

2009-11-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, some of us are on top of the world right now...and some of us feel like the world is on top of us. We all know just how fast that can change too! So...this is something to help keep it all in perspective.

I remember when I was about 10 years old. I had a mutt hound dog named Obi (yes Obi Wan Kenobi..Ka-POW suckas!). He was an AWESOME dog. This dog would go anywhere I went. When we went fishing, I would explore for hours on end through the woods, swamp, creeks, etc. Obi would follow me every single time!

For all his good traits, he had one flaw...one temptation that was irresistable...The Chicken Shack down by the Swanee Swifty in Ashburn. Now...we lived about 10 blcks away, Obi would climb out of our chain link fence and sprint down there to rummage through the trash for some chicken! I can't really blame him, since that chicken was awesome!!

The dog catcher didn't like it though...and Obi got caught a few times. On the third time, my Pop had to go to court...I was scared. Unbeknownst to me though...the judge was on the family payroll!! Heck yeahz!! Mafia style.

We walked in. They called our name. I saw the sign on the judges bench and it read: Guy Reinhardt. My Pop smiled as they read the charges and this how it went:

Judge Reinhardt: "Mr. Reinhardt...What do you say to these charges?"

Pop: "Your honor...I have a plan."

Judge Reinhardt: "Case dismissed!! This man has a plan!"

And we walked out. Basically, my cousin Guy had faith that my Pop would take care of business so it wasn't a big deal.

We really should adopt the Judges plan in our life. Problems arise...put it on trial in our minds..."Case dismissed: The MAN upstairs has a plan!!"

There is a plan in place constantly. Even when we look at an event in our life and simply cannot even IMAGINE anything good coming out of it: Death of a loved one, Medical condition, Drug addiction, Bankruptcy, Prison time, Job loss, etc, etc...

Any of these things could easily make me wonder what in the heck could be the reason for this!?? I lost my Pop back in the day when I was young. I couldn't see ANYTHING good coming out of that!! I mean...burying your Pop in your teens doesn't have many upsides...

But let's take a journey together right quick...Imagine for a minute that you are a christian back in the day of Jesus. You believe and follow Jesus!! You know that He is the Son of God!! How cool would that have been?? Awesome!!

Now...imagine the day comes where they capture Him. Beat Him and put a thorny crown on His head making Him carry a cross to a hill. Don't just read this...Imagine it...Imagine how you'd feel!!! Here's the Savior of the World and they are beating Him and planning on killing Him!!

Imagine the panic inside you as they lead Him up the hill. Not the sorrow that we feel today...You're living back then and literally walking with Christ...Imagine how torn down your world is as they hang Him on the cross...stab Him...

Wait!! Now imagine that gut wrentching feeling in your stomach as he died on the cross!! Here is your Lord...dead. All your faith and following is dead on that cross. Everything you believed...POOF!!

........Okay.

Now put how those christians on that day must have felt up against your worst day...I think it's safe to say that THAT day was the worst day evah imaginable in their minds. How did they feel when they looked at a cross? I mean...it was already a symbol of horrible death...now it was even worse!!

How do we feel about the cross today? What...It's a good thing?? How can that possibly be???

How do we feel about Jesus dying for our sins today? Not sure about you, but that's got to be the BEST thing that has ever happened...far from how they viewed it on the day it happened...

Hmmm...Did God have a plan? Did it work? Sho Nuff Did!!

About my Pop dying...I became a true man through his death. I got to spend a quality time with my father in his last days that most people will never experience. Of course I wish he was here today, but I can absolutely see the great things that came out of him passing away!!

God has a plan for each of us. Case dismissed, The Man has a plan.

** Part of this was gleamed from a Louie Giglio sermon. If you have a chance...give him a listen. I was amazed at his gift!! **

Remember: Love your neighbor as yourself. PERIOD!

Let's take a walk...On the WILD side!!

2009-11-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

So I have an awesome job!! I work at Harley-Davidson in Tifton and LOVE it. I actually look forward to work. My co-workers rawk!! My boss Julie has become a personal friend!! My big boss (Keith) is about the best guy I have ever met with a heart as big as a mountain!! Seriously...this place is incredible!!

However...over the last few weeks, I have felt drawn to give more to God and to work for Him. But, what can a uneducated, ex-con, fledgling do???

Not to mention the fact that I feel obligated to my friends at work...I "need" a paycheck...I "need" security...etc.

So basically it's: Worldly Existence VS The Walk!!

So I went to work on Tuesday with all of this heavier on heart than normal. What to do?? I know...I'll pray!! So I went to the bathroom and got down on my knees and prayed...YES...public bathroom and knees...BUT I feel like praying silently has become way too common place. So I like old school prayer!

Anyway...I basically said "God...I don't NEED a sign, but I sure do WANT a sign. If it's Your will, please show me."

I walked out and received a phone call moments later from a guy in Palatka that had stopped in the shop with his wife the week before. We had all "recharged the God batteries" while they were there...exchanged info...and went on our merry ways. He was calling to ask me to join in the prison ministry that he was a part of in Lake Park! He was asking me...even though I have a record and the prisons generally frown on that!

So when he told me that the date was the 21st, I responded (without thinking) that we had a big tent event on that day at Harley...of course I had to smile at the irony (which is God's sense of humor in my mind!).

So I let Ed know that I would be back in touch...and started to wonder. Was that a sign?? Could it have been?? In all honesty I had never asked for a sign and had no idea what to expect!! I had no idea...

Well...I decided to confide in a work friend. His response was to pray. I, of course, told him that I HAD prayed! He calmly looked at me and said to pray again!

So I go back into the restroom and kneel and pray...AGAIN!! "Umm...God? Umm...Uhhh...I really hate to do this...But I think there might have been static on the lines earlier...Umm...could I get a mulligan?? A do-over?? One more??"

So I walked out and about an hour later I'm sitting at my desk when this guy, who I had missed walking in, comes into view looking at motorcycles in the shop. I heard him say that he was waiting on Derrick (other sales guy).

Now...In sales...you don't waste time usually. If someone is dealing with another sales guy...you don't jump in a mess it up! So I had NO reason to talk to this guy...at all!

But I did...I got up and we started talking about riding and the area and stuff. We knew a lot of the same people and I eventually asked him his name after about 30 minutes. I recognized the last name and asked him if he knew a girl named Dena. He responded that she was his younger second cousin and we laughed about a few stories of she and I dating YEARS ago.

As the conversation came to a close, he asked for my card so he could remember my name and tell her hello. I reached and grabbed a Sinner's Church card for some reason...instead of my normal HD card. Once he read it, he began asking me questions! Keep in mind that this is the ONLY God talk we had at all up until this point!!

After a few minutes, Derrick (the friend I had confided in) came in from his lunch and joined us. Right about then, the man looked at me and said:

"I feel very led to ask you a question..." and I was like Uh-oh!!

He continued: "Have you ever thought about going into Youth Ministry? Cause I am the head of deacons at our little church and while you are nothing like what we have been looking for, I feel like there is something here."

BOOM!!!! I felt like God had come along and laid The Smackdown on me!!

I looked over at Derrick and he was just simply staring at me like "Ummm...you hear Him now?"

So we talked a little more and I told him that I would consider it and we could talk later...but that he had just played a HUGE role in God's plan that day!

The next day I came to work and gave my two-week notice. No...I have no plans other than chasing and serving God!! Yes...I am both nervous and excited!!

A few days later it hit me...hard!! Imagine the massive string of "coincidences" and "random events" that had to transpire for that day to occur...

1 - I had to pray (the first time).
2 - Ed had to decide to take a chance on me being an ex-con with his group.
3 - Ed had to call me and invite me.
4 - The date had to be the 21st (or else I would definitely not seen it as a sign)
5 - I had to discuss with Derrick (not a normal thing)
6 - He had to tell me about Gideon and to pray again.
7 - I had to pray again
(here's where it gets freaky)
8 - The customer had to come shopping for bikes in the pouring rain (which he admitted later he really was not looking for a bike and this was the worst day to drop by in his mind)
9 - I had to decide to get up and talk to him (even though he was someone else’s customer)
10 - We had to click on riding spots and stuff.
11 - I had to have dated his second cousin over 15 years earlier.
12 - I had to remember her name!!!
13 - He had to ask for my card to tell her hello (most people would have just walked and forgot all about it).
14 - I had to grab a Sinner's Church card instead of my normal Harley card.
15 - He had to ask about it...
16 - I had to tell him (Let's face it...Witnessing can be scary)
17 - Derrick had to walk up (not a necessity but very cool)
18 - He had to be a head deacon.
19 - He had to follow his urge and ask me about being a youth minister!!
20 - I'm filling this in because my OCD couldn't end on 19.

That's a lot!! That's crazy!! If you think the universe is random and that there is no grand plan or designer...then I should've played the lotto that night!! WOW!!!

Anyway...that's my testimony of recent events. I know it seems crazy, but I am going FULL-TIME FOR GOD!!! :)

Remember: Love your neighbor as yourself!!

Worst of the Worst (Paul and His Service)

2009-11-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

If a foreigner...a known terrorist that had killed westerners...came up to one of our churches this morning claiming he had recieved salvation and wanted to speak to the congregation...How many would give him the time of day, much less let him speak??

How many would miss out on the Apostle Paul speaking today??

"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the worst sinner of all." -1 Timothy 1:15

This is Paul speaking!! A guy who wrote a great deal of the New Testament...A man who feverently spread Christianity in a time when that word got you killed...A man who brought people back to life, exorcised demons, healed the sick, and suffered repeatedly for his faith!!

BUT...He also was a guy who hunted down, captured, and reportedly even KILLED Christians before finding salvation on the road to Damascus.

You see...in these series of verses, Paul speaks about how he walked a terrible path before and Jesus is using him as an example of both God's patience with all of us AND the fact that salvation is 100% cleansing of all past deeds!!

Now...I, myself, LOVE this...as many of you can imagine. LOL...But it's true!! Thankfully God had enough patience to see me through my twisted path and into the light.

It is our human nature to judge people based on their past actions. Every one of us struggle with this...even though each of us hate when it has happens to us. But the fact is...People DO change with Gods help. And that change is often QUICK and RADICAL...making it even more skeptical!! But it happens. Thank God it happens!!

Thanks for reading!!

Love your neighbor as yourself. Period!!

God Farming!!

2009-11-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

Bamboo is a rather peculiar plant. You plant it and care for it and in the first year it grows 0 inches. Yep...none. You continue to care for it daily and in the second year it grows 0 inches...yep. So...you continue to care for it daily and then sometime in the third year...BOOM!! 24 inches in a single day!!

One day I was taking Eli to school and we passed by this homeless man that lived down the street in the woods. This guys was always around and clearly had mental issues (loved to write in the dirt all day and get angry for some reason) and he was out sitting on this morning. Eli, who had seen the man 100 times before, asked me "Daddy...why does that guy live in the woods?"

I responded "Cause he is too lazy to get a job and enjoys living off other people's hard work."

Okay...Clearly not one of my finer "Father Of The Year" moments...but more importantly, this one instance set me back on my heels. We drove to school and talked, but I could not get my response out of my head.

You see...even though I've always been a rather selfish and arrogant person, I had always found it in my heart to help the less fortunate! But...this happened in a time in my life when I had lost every single moral I had ever had. Seriously...When I tell you that I would have stabbed your grandmother in the back for a ten dollar bill and the only concern I would have had was whether some blood stained my clothes...sadly I'm not lying...

But I did not realize it!!! I know that sounds crazy, but I really had not realized HOW much I had slipped until that morning when Eli asked me about the homeless guy!!!

Suddenly it all came rushing back to me like some flash back in a Guy Ritchie film...The people I had cheated...the laws I had broken...the people I had hurt (physically and financially)...for my own financial gain at first...and then later just because I could.

It all crept in so slowly...inch by inch consuming me!! To the point where I simply had zero regard for any human life outside of mine and my sons (not even family, friends, or spouses)!! WOW!!!

So I changed...sorta.

Yes...I wish I could say I got saved right then and there, but I didn't. At the time I didn't even consider God being a factor in my life. I simply knew that I had to be a better person...so I did...slowly...

But was God not a factor?? At the time I didn't even consider it, but looking back I have to say that He absolutely was!! I'm not talking about from a "God's Plan" aspect (though of course that was in effect), I'm talking more about God's teachings.

You see I was raised with some pretty positive Christian influence (which I rejected mostly). I was friends with pastors sons...great Christian families (who might not have liked me all the time, but loved me)...and my own Mother and Father's beliefs. So...I knew right from wrong and good from evil...I had just chosen to ignore it!!

However...all of this exposure made it easier for me to correct myself morally on this day!!

You see...all of these Christians had been planting seeds throughout my life. Sometimes it was obvious: "Gus you need God!"...and sometimes it was not so obvious to either side: Like all the times the Huff's had me over for dinner!! Looking back, these people kept planting and kept planting...and even though the ground was rough and they didn't see any results...they kept planting!!

In Matthew, Jesus is travelling through towns teaching and stopping to heal every sickness and disease. (Notice that it says EVERY sickness and disease!! WOW!!). While at one stop, the scripture says:

"Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." -Matthew 9:37

I think about this a lot today in my own Christian walk...Am I planting seeds everywhere I go?? By word of mouth...by example...by giving...by listening?? We are ALL called to be workers and to plant the seeds...REGARDLESS of the immediate growth we see!!

I have challenged myself to step out of the comfort zone and "Do Something!". I hope you will too...

PS - Yes...I corrected myself with Eli the next day. :)

Thanks for reading!! Remember that we are officially having Sinner's Church Discussion Group on Thursday nights in Tifton at 7pm!! Come as you are...only one rule: No Perfect People Allowed!! Contact me for more info if interested!!

Love your neighbor as yourself. Period!

You're right!! (Jesus and Forgiveness)

2009-10-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a firm believer that conviction is a great compass for my personal walk with The Lord. When I say "conviction", I mean how I feel when I sin...and how quickly I feel that way.

A recent example: I had a small dispute with an acquaintance. We were on seperate sides of an issue, but it was very civil...until I pushed the line a little and made a stupid analogy. He hung up the phone.

Now...My ego is a VERY odd thing and I hate it...but...if you hang up on me, you might have well walked into my family renunion and slapped me in front of every one and then skipped out singing "Stupid Girl!". Ugh!! I was angry!!

So I just started driving towards this guys location, saying "Jesus...I'm gonna need a time-out!!"

Then it hit me: Why??

Clearly he was having a tense day...clearly he was reacting to something I said.

I was still angry by the way...But...I turned the car around and went on with my day.

As I stewed a few more hours, I prayed a few times...then it hit me: I recently read something about this in a little book called The Bible from some dude named Jesus!!

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." -Luke 6:37

I immediately picked up the phone and sent him a message saying that I fully apologize for anything I had done to anger him or upset him...and that it was certainly not my intention! I also added that I was proud of him for what he was doing and that I hoped he would accept my apology.

NOW...understand that whether I was right or wrong...I FELT like I was right!! BUT...Jesus says nothing about right or wrong. He said "Forgive and you'll be forgiven!"

The result of my apology was an immediate apology from my friend and much deeper level of understanding between us...after which I sat down and thought:

"Huh! Why am I always amazed when Jesus turns out to be right??"

Is there anyone in your life that has wronged you? Anyone that owes you a HUGE apology? Anyone??

Try calling, texting, or writing them an apology or letting them know that you still love them anyway. I know it's tough!! Trust me!! BUT...you'll be amazed at the results both on the outside and (especially) on the inside!!

Do it today!! Don't wait!!

Thanks for reading!!

Love your neightbor as yourself...Period.

First Sinner's Church Meeting!!

2009-10-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

So I was talking with God the other day...yeah that freaks me out too, but allow me to explain...I used to think people were insane when they said they talked to God. I mean...I've never heard Him speak to me directly...but over the past few months I have found that I am able to speak to Him.

It's much different than prayer. I view prayer as me paying homage and reverence to my Lord. My talks with Him are very much like talking to anyone else. Kinda laid back and just talking through some things...meditating a little...working through one or two things that are heavy on my heart and mind. Every time I have done this, I have been answered in some fashion. I'm sure some people might dismiss this as coincidence, but my OCD over odds and statistics tells me otherwise...lol.

Anyway...I'm talking with God the other day and discussing Sinner's Church. I basically said "You know Lord...this Sinner's Church thing is weighing heavy on me. I think it's time has come, but I'm unclear on the when, what, how, and where of it all. I know that no matter what, you're going to make it a success and unable to fail, but..."

I just stopped as those final words sank in. Of course then I started laughing at the craziness of it all. I mean...if I truly believe that (and I do) then what's stopping me? It was like God saying "Ummm...hello. Get off your tail and either get busy living or get busy dying boy!"

SO...We are having the first meeting at 7pm on Thursday, Oct. 22nd at a friends house in Tifton. The address is 126 Donaldson Ave (near ABAC sorta). Melana Chaney has been gracious enough to allow us to use her home!! Quite the blessing.

Now...I have had MANY conversations about Sinner's Church over the past few months and as Korey said, this thing has sort of already begun...but I want to make a couple things clear:

1 - Sinner's Church is for everyone!! Christians, Hindu's, Atheists, Agnostics, and Muslims!! Criminals and Law Enforcement Officers!! Drug dealers, drug users, drunks, AA members, and tee-totalers!! Wealthy and poor!! Democrats, Republicans, and Anarchists!! Gays, Lesbians, and Breeders!! EVERYONE!! We are all equal in God's eyes and Jesus' love!!

2 - Sinner's Church will house MANY people with MANY different views. All are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions!! My personal views are vastly different than mainstream Christianity in some areas and I understand that a lot of people do not agree...that's okay!! It's not about pushing people into a predetermined mindset. It's about free expression of ideas. We all have something to learn from one another!!

The first study will be on The Parable of the Lost Sheep: Matthew 18:10-14 and Luke 15:3-7.

Read it if you like or just come enjoy the story. I'll have a print out for everyone regardless. So...no study requirements!! Just the way I like it!! Ha!

I look forward to seeing everyone on the 22nd!! It's my sincere hope that we can bring together a group of people that are eager to learn, share, and spread the crazy love that Jesus taught!!

Love your neighbor as yourself!!

Helping the Helpers (David and Abigail)

2009-10-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

So Dave was on the run...the guards had his spear-gun...and right about then it was time to have some fun...

So last we left David, he had defeated a giant and circumcised 200 grown men! The king, named Saul, was still upset at him and had David on the run for his life.

During this time...even though he was running for his life, David kept on fighting battles against the Philistines!! That's right, even though the king was trying to off him, David kept fighting for Saul! Talk about dedication!

At one point, David and his men are hiding in a cave as Saul's army passes by...and Saul has to use the bathroom. So where does he choose to relieve himself?? Yep...right in the cave!! David is encouraged to kill the king, but instead, he sneaks up and cuts away a corner of his robe...later presenting it to Saul as proof that David could have killed him.

Now...I'm not sure about you...or what kind of business the king was taking care of...but if I am in a dark cave using the bathroom, I am fairly sure that my spider-senses would be on high alert!! David must've been an Israeli Ninja or something!!

Then comes Nabal...a harsh dude that had many shepherds that traveled around. At one point in the past, they had encountered David's small army and the army had protected them for some time. As David and his army crossed into Nabal's land, David sent a gentle request for some aid in payment for the help they had given Nabal's shepherds. Nabal not only refused...but did so very disrespectfully!

Now...in most of our minds this plays out like some scene from The Godfather, but remember the time period...Sheep were extremely valuable! Protection was an extreme luxury! And...what David asked for was almost customary in most cases when people visited your lands...

When David heard what Nabal's response was, he looked at his men and said "Suit up boys! This guy and his whole crew dies before sunrise!"

As they marched towards Nabal's estate, they were met by a young woman named Abigail. She brought with her many gifts of food and supplies in addition to begging for her foolish husbands life. She reminds David that he is the chosen king of Israel and that God is with him.

David suddenly realizes that he is about to sin and sends Abigail back to her husband and his estate in peace. Ten days later Nabal dies of a heart attack and David asks Abigail to be his wife.

"She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants." - 1 Samuel 25:41

I love the fact that even while David was being pursued by his Earthly king, he kept serving his Heavenly King by fighting the Philistines!! How easy it would have been to just step back and let them go at it...

The fact that David was enraged and about to take vengeance himself is a HUGE relief to someone like me!! I mean...David was about as close to walking with God as any man before him! It just goes to show that WE ARE ALL SINNERS!! It is in our nature to be sinner's...no matter how closely we walk with God, we cannot fully escape it!

Finally, the scripture I quoted above really hit me. "...and wash the feet of my master's servants."! Wow...WOW! How many times have I been so concentrated on being the good servant and not taken time to serve the Master's servants!! Wow...

Thanks for reading!!

Love your neighbor as yourself!!

Any Questions?? (New Found Faith)

2009-10-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been faced with two situations where people have openly questioned someone's proclaimation of new found faith in God. The first instance was in a group setting of saved and unsaved people. The second happened with a very trusted Christian friend.

In the first case, I watched and listened as the people around me rolled their eyes and laughed at this persons proclaimation. When asked what was so hard to believe, I was immediately presented with a list of bad things this person had done in her past and that she could...in no way...change.

I smiled and listened some more before softly responding (very hard for me since I am naturally loud!) that I was living proof that people COULD change!! In fact, I let the group know that if they would like to list all the bad things they had all done and group them all together...I could probably put that list to shame on one page!! I added the fact that they were talking to a guy that would have literally shivved any of their grandmothers in her back for a few bucks only a few years back...not something I am proud of, but the truth.

I then asked what the number one thing we all dislike about "church folk"...of course the response was Hypocrites!! When asked why, they responded "because they pass judgement!"

"Aren't we doing the same thing now?"

****

The second situation disturbed me a little more...but it was only because it hit so close to home!! My trusted Christian friend heard that another friend of ours was attending church and he was immediately skeptical of our the guy's motives...

I have to admit that even I found myself having the same thoughts recently towards someone else...and even found myself getting angry thinking "The Church is not a place for an agenda!"

As I spoke with my Christian friend, I let him know that I had struggled with the same thoughts recently, but had come to the conclusion that ANY exposure to God's word is AWESOME!!! He saw the same point.

****

It really is true that ANY exposure to God's Word is AWESOME!! I mean, I got bribed with sex to attend the church service that saved my soul!! That's right!! SEX...talk about going the extra mile to save someone!!

The Bible tells us to be witnesses...not judges. It is our job to bring people to God...Not bring them to God and then question their true intentions.

I've quoted it before, but it's one of my favorite verses: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. -John 3:17

I feel very fortunate to have learned this lesson this past week!! Stay tuned for a Sinner's Church announcement later this week also!! We are planning on having our first Sinner's Church Study Meeting next Thursday (Oct. 17th)!!

Thanks for reading and please share with anyone you think might enjoy!!

Love your neighbor as yourself!!

He Said What??? (Jesus in Nain)

2009-09-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

Originally posted May 2009

Just so everyone knows...I don't know enough about the Bible and Church to be original. Most of what I write about is something I have heard. I just phrase it in my own personal words and then mention things that I see and feel when I read.

In Luke there are some chapters that talk about Jesus traveling to Nain with a large crowd in tow. He had not asked them to follow...they had chosen to do so because of the great things they had heard and even witnessed. They felt drawn to him!!

Now to put it in perspective...these people were not taking vacation days...they were leaving their own farms and businesses. This was HUGE!! Can you imagine feeling so compelled to follow something or someone that you literally get up from your desk/couch/car/etc RIGHT NOW and follow? Crazy!

Anyway...I can imagine this large crowd as they approach Nain. They're excited! They're inspired! They are looking at the world like they have never seen it before!!

Coming out of the gates of Nain was another large crowd. These people were a part of a funeral. A recent widow had now lost her only son and they were all walking out of Nain in the funeral procession.
Take a minute and think of the scene unfolding from up in the air. On one side you have this funeral...I picture people all dressed in black, crying and sad. Pondering life’s short cycle and trying to come to grips with the sadness around them everywhere.

On the other side...this inspired group of people. I picture them singing, telling jokes and stories. Looking at life and all the amazing possibilities that await each of them. I picture them as uplifting to each other!

Now...I'm no scholar, but the symbolism here is amazing. On the one side is a crowd without Jesus. On the other is a group with Jesus. Picturing the difference in the two is cool in my mind and I think it says a great deal about how effected our own lives are by the strength of our walk with God. Think of how you have felt at the times you were closest to Him...maybe at 12 years old or even 25...I'll bet you that you can draw some comparisons...

Anyway - the rest of the story is cool to me just from a life perspective...

So Jesus walks up to this grieving mother and says "Do not cry." Now...imagine you are in the funeral group and this stranger walks up and says this...We'd be like "He said what???" right before one of us stepped up and asked him to leave. I mean...that's right up there with "Yo! What we having to eat after this funeral...I am starving!"

He then approaches the casket and touches the box saying "Young man. I say to you Get Up!"

Well that's just about the icing on the cake there! I can just see most of my boys starting to charge to the front of the line to bounce this joker right out. I mean first He's gonna talk to the widow about not crying THEN He is actually going to lay His hands....lay His hands!...on the casket!!?? I don't think so!! This cat has to go!

Knock!! Knock!!! Knock!!!!!! from the casket and everyone stops in their tracks. The pallbearers probably dropped the box right then and there. *cough* "Umm...can someone let me outta this box? Helloooo!"

Luke goes on to tell how the funeral crowd immediately rejoiced and praised Jesus. In one command, the two very different sides were combined into one. They believed!!

Now...in this story, some of us are in the crowd with Jesus (we believe...but more importantly we act on our belief with mind, body, and spirit!).

Some of us are in the funeral (we believe, but have let other things come between us and God...death in a family...abuse...breakup...sadness..sickness...unemployment...etc).

And some of you are like I was...you are the guy in the casket (dead and gone...having given up hope or never experienced it in the first place).

Now if you had to choose which group to hang with, which would it be? I mean...If we set up tables labeled "Awesome Feeling", "Gloomy Feeling", and "Dead" which would you choose?

Ok...I know there are some sickos that would choose dead, but by in large, we all would be in the Awesome Feeling line I would think!! Well...get in line crazy!!

PS - How do you think the young man that was brought back went on the live his life? I do not know, but I imagine he went ballistic for God!! I've come CLOSE to dying (which is a LONG way from actually dying I would think) and it changed me for the better!!

Have an awesome day!!

The Bobbit Scandal...B.C. (David & Saul: Round One)

2009-09-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

When we last left our young David, he had toppled a giant name Goliath with stone. The king of Israel, named Saul, had lost favor with God and was jealous of David’s walk.

So David was offered the hand of Merab, Saul’s daughter, in marriage…but David refuses. Big Daddy Saul starts to see David as more and more of a threat and was growing very jealous of his popularity with the ladies…I’ve always said you can be the ugliest guy on Earth and if you can play an instrument (David and his harp) you can get girls!! That and I suppose the whole shy farm boy (accent and all) that slew the giant went quite some distance around the mead tent!!

So Big Daddy Saul sends David out on these military campaigns in hopes of having him killed (Remember this later!!) and the boy is bullet proof…or spear proof!! He just won’t die!! So a new plan is devised…Mwuhahahaha….

Saul knew that David and his other daughter, Michal, were in love…so Saul blessed this union with the intent to snare David in a trap! He said to David with a grin: “Suuuuurree!! You can marry Michal!! Umm…all you have to do is go bring your king the foreskins of 100 uncircumcised Philistines….Simple.”

Saul replied, "Say to David, 'The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.' " Saul's plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines. – 1 Samuel 18:25

Hold the phone!! I’m pretty sure my animated response would have been: “Let me get this straight…you want me to go circumcise a hundred grown men in order to marry your daughter??? I mean…she’s hot and all, but really?? Thanks but no thanks!!”

But…the Bible says that David was excited!! He gathered his men and they rode out to start “gathering”!!

Sometime later, David returned and as he stood in front of Saul (much to Saul’s dismay I am sure!), he presented TWO HUNDRED foreskins to Saul!!

Now…take a moment and think of what a gruesome scene THAT was!! Ugh!!

Saul realized that David was in The Lord’s favor and hated him for the rest of his days…and the more and more the Philistines attacked, the more David won!!

Okay…this is a seemingly gruesome story with not much content, but here’s a few things I see:

1 – Saul was sly! He was jealous of David’s relationship with God. As a result, Saul relentlessly went after David…scheming against him constantly! Now…We know that David knew of Saul’s intent, but he continued to serve regardless and through The Lord’s favor and his own faith, he continued to be successful!! I seem to encounter more and more Christians that seem more concerned with serving a political agenda then serving The Lord recently! It ranges between simply disliking and wishing failure on Obama to full blown ignoring the Ten Commandments (or even more important in my eyes: The two commandments that Jesus gave) in military and political gatherings.

What would happen if we just trusted God and His Word? What would happen if we loved our neighbors as ourselves…even the Muslims, gays, abortionists, etc. instead of serving a political agenda that we see as wrong? The Bible is full of great men of God that served kings that they vehemently disagreed with: Daniel, David, Paul, even Jesus!!

I realize that everyone has things that they are passionate about…and debate can be good…but just imagine if all agendas were set aside and we made spreading the Word of God and telling people about the love of Jesus our ONLY agenda?? Wouldn’t all the other things you and I speak out about be covered under that umbrella in the process??

2 – David was asked to bring 100 foreskins to his king. He brought 200! Now most scholars say that this showed David’s zeal and he always served over and beyond. I can see that…BUT…I see this as David making a statement to Saul!! David served TWO kings…and Earthly king and a Heavenly King…therefore when asked to bring back 100 for his king…David needed 100 for EACH. (Just my thoughts)

3 – I think it’s cool that David was offered Saul’s first daughters hand in marriage and he passed. This showed that David was not in it for the greed. He waited and married for love!! HUGE!!

Hope you all are having a fantastic week!! Thanks for all the comments and insights that you guys give me too through your responses and emails!! I am learning as much as anyone!!

Anyway…thanks for reading peeps!! We’re almost to 400 members (who’d a thunk it?)…so I’d like to also say thanks for spreading the word about the story site!!

Now go out and spread some love!! Love thy neighbor as thyself!!

God + Rock = Smackdown!! (David vs Goliath)

2009-09-22T11:36:00.001-07:00

David and Goliath: Little dude...Big guy...Rock thrown...Big guy dead. Thanks God...

That's pretty much the story of David and Goliath as I knew it until recently. I had heard it a hundred times and that was the take away. For some reason I have chosen to study David recently and I have to admit that he was a pretty amazing man! Much more so than I had ever learned, so I wanted to share:

Big Daddy Saul was said to be the tallest man in Israel...that and the fact that he was the king pretty much made him a force to be reckoned with!! Big Daddy had once had the favor of God, but through all his wayward deeds, God chose another to replace him...eventually.

This "another" was David...who was just a boy tending sheep for his father in Israel at the time. David was kinda the complete package: He had the looks of Hugh Jackman, the physical skills of Beckham, and played the harp like Eddie Van Halen. The only downside was that he was short like Michael J Foxx...quite the opposite of the current king!

So Big Daddy Saul is being tormented by these dreams and demonic fits...he hears that this David guy plays a mean harp and calls him to play. David arrives and lullabies the king to sleep...so fast and so well, that Big Daddy Saul enlists him part time as his harp player and armor bearer taker carer guy.

Okay...So David was doing double duty serving the king and watching his fathers sheep while his brothers were in Saul's army up in the hills in a standoff between Israel and the Philistines. Both armies were set up and waiting for the other to make the first move when one day this HUGE Philistine guy comes strolling down the road yelling!! This giant was literally almost ten foot tall and bullet proof!!

He stood just under ten feet and was armored head to toe in bronze with a wooden beam sporting a 15 pound spear head as a weapon (in addition to his massive sword and knife). Seeing this guy come over the hill would be the equivilent of seeing a tank in the Revolutionary War or an automobile in Canada!! (why do I always make Canada references?? I love Canada!)

Goliath of Gath was the giants name (but scholars think he was named Stretch and the original Decepticon Transformer due to his armored looks...okay just me). Stretch had quite the way with words too! Every day, the giant would climb to the top of the hill across from Israels camp and taunt them saying "Yo! We don't no stinking war! Let's do this mano e mano!! Send your best, we'll fight, I'll crush him, and you guys can be our slaves! Pretty simple." Apparently ole Stretch wasn't lacking in confidence...and rightly so...the entire army of Israel was immobilized and shaken with fear from this one man!! Even Saul!!

So Stretch taunted the Israelite's for 40 long...drawn out...frayed nerved days! Until one day David was coming into camp to deliver some supplies and check on his brothers. As he entered the camp area, he heard Stretch taunting the Israelites as usual and saw the fear on their faces...and he was puzzled!

David asked "Who is this uncircumcized Philistine?" ** Remember David asking this cause it comes into play in another story! **

The men around David told of Goliath and also told him that the man that beat the giant in battle would surely be awarded the king's daughter and become extremely rich. In addition, the man's family would be exempt from paying taxes!! Freaking taxes!!

When David showed interest, his brother jumped his hide and David gave him the classic little brother shrug and "What did I do now!??" response before heading in to see the king.

Big Daddy Saul was adamant that David couldn't fight Goliath. "You're just a kid who watches sheep! My trained warriors are scared...I'm scared! How can you even think of this suicide mission?"

David responded by saying "True...I have been watching sheep, but whenever a lion or bear came and grabbed one, I would always go after it, strike it down and rescue the lamb. If it dared raise up against me, I would (direct quote here) grab it by it's fur, strike it down, and kill it."

Whoa...Whoa...Whoa...Hold up. Take this scene in for a second. Here is the little pretty boy named David who has been watching sheep all his life telling the king that he wants to go fight a tank!! Okay...that's astounding enough. But he goes on to talk about how he man-handles lions and bears!!! For the record...I have big guns with big bullets and I'd be scared of freaking lions and bears!! This little guy is "Grabbing them by their fur" and killing them...apparently on more than one occasion!! Wow...

David goes on to say:

The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." - 1 Samuel 17:37

So Big Daddy Saul agrees to let David fight ole Stretch. They go to the armory and dress David in the kings armor and shield...but suddenly David stops them and says "Whoa...this just ain't how I roll." and takes all the stuff off...opting to head into battle in his shepherds clothing, staff, and sling. He stopped to grab up five stones from the creek as he topped the hill to face Goliath-tron!

Goliath immediately hated David at first sight! He hated David's simplicity...hated his small stature...hated his youth...hated his graceful looks. Goliath-tron hated David!! He laughed as he yelled for all to hear "What am I?? Some dog that you send this boy against me??"

Then he looked at David and said "C'mere boy! I'm bout to whoop that tail and feed you to the animals!"

David kept his gaze locked on the giant (who had a shield bearer in front of him too by the way!) and replied "I'll be your huckleberry!"...okay, he actually said: "You come against me with dagger, spear, and sword...I come with The Lord! You have defiled Him. I will strike you down...cut off your big head...and feed the corpses of your fellow Philistines to the birds of the sky!"

As Goliath started forward to attack, David sprinted to meet him!! Slipping his hand into the pouch of stones, David loaded a rock and slung it at Goliath...the stone struck the giant in the forehead and sank in...as Goliath slumped and fell face first into the ground!!

If this was a 70's Batman episode there'd be a big ole *BOOM* *POW* right dere!!

David stood over Goliath, taking the Philistines massive sword, he chopped the giants head off (sparks flying everywhere probably)! As the Israelites saw the giant fall, they swarmed the Philistine camp with a vengeance, slaughtering them and driving them away in fear. David kept Goliath's weapons, but took the giants massive noggin to Jerusalem.

As the people of Israel praised David, Saul became angry and began to plot against him...but that is another story...

Okay...this story is chocked FULL of stuff that shouts at me as I read it!! Here are a few:

1 - David was a true man of God. We see this is his unquestionable faith in The Lord to deliver blessings on him and protect him at all times! David had faced lions and bears with God's help! He had been blessed with abilities, looks, and countless other gifts that he did not take for granted. Also...I love the fact that David walked so close with The Lord that when he walked into camp and heard the giant talking smack about God, he immediately wanted to just go face him down and was astonished that it had went on so long!! I want to walk with God like that! What faith!!!

2 - When the king offered David his own armor...by far the best armor in the country...David shrugged if off. He knew that God had blessed him with his own set of talents and skills to be used! It's like the old saying "God equips the called...not calls the equipped.". This hit me like a hammer in some aspects. We ALL have our own skills and abilities that God grants us to use for Him!

How much time do each of us waste "trying on armor" that doesn't fit?? I know I struggle with this and love the fact that all I need is what I already have on!! This also is a prime example of why there is not a "one size fits all" approach to following Christ!! Some are moved by Hellfire and Brimstone...others (like me) bask in the light of Christ's endless love!! I must keep this in mind and use the talents God has given me to serve Him!

3 - I like how David was not afraid to ask for the reward! I often feel somewhat unworthy or guilty about the blessings that are handed down...Yet here is David saying "Okay...I'm going to do this thing anyway, but remind me again what is the reward!" There ARE rewards for being good stewards and doing what is right in The Lord!! This passage reminds me that I need to feel just as comfortable focusing on those things as I do on fearing the bad!! God loves us and wants us to prosper IN SPITE of our sin!!

4 - My favorite part...this slammed into me so hard I cannot even describe it!!

"...David sprinted to meet him..."

Here is little ole David facing a literal GIANT and the moment Goliath starts walking, David sprinted to meet him head on!!

How many times have I dodged my problems...or handled them apprehensively or timidly...when the fact is that God is in control and the battle's been won already?? You see, David knew this!! He knew that the battle belonged to God and therefore was already won!! What faith!! This literally made me wake up this morning and charge forward into several things that have been looming over me and BOOM!! Done!!

What if we decided to take away the control that our struggles have over us by bum-rushing them knowing that God is in complete control?? Awesomeness incarnate!!

There is SO much more to David (as I am finding out) and I am excited to be learning, writing, and talking about the subject!! More to come!!

Thanks for reading!! Feel free to check out www.sinnerschurch.blogspot.com and recommend it to those that might like it but do not have Facebook.

Love your neighbor as yourself!!

Diary of a New Christian: Part III (Are You Different? YES!!)

2009-09-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

This last installment in the series is probably one I have struggled with the most. And I know that if I have struggled with it, then most people out there certainly do!!

I've always been the black sheep type person, from the way I dress, act, things I do, etc. I have usually found my own path and walked it regardless of others...So when I was saved, it was only natural that I saw things and noticed things just a little different than everyone around me.

As I read about Paul, I realized that this dude was SERIOUSLY different!! I mean...he was so outside the box that even the Christian elders moved him around and sent him on missions just so he wouldn't embarrass them! They disliked him, some of his views, and his methods, but he was converting people by the thousands, so what could they do??

For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. - 1 Corinthians 1:17

As you read through the stories on the site, you can see where I have struggled with finding myself at odds with people whom I respect immensely!! It's usually been a personal struggle...thinking "Why do I see or feel differently about this than them?".

Then one day I was reading the story on Jesus and the Temple Tantrum (one of my favs by the way) and contacted a mentor on the subject because I saw things vastly different. My friend blasted me for not going with the mainstream....I was stunned! I was hurt! I was angry!

I re-read the scripture about ten times and kept hearing it tell me the same thing! So I prayed for understanding...and I was quickly given the answer I was looking for...

God made me this way! God planned my life to be such that it would prepare me for being different in my ministry just as I have always been different in other ways as well.

I tell this story to say this:

As a new Christian, we MUST surround ourselves with people we trust: Friends, pastors, writers, musicians, etc. These people all play a major role in helping us maintain our Walk and strengthening our faith!! It is our task to seek and find these string Christians and implore them to help us. However, while these people will always be friends, the teachers, guidance counselors, and mentors come and go as we grow.

Think of it like school...Every year we had different teachers and as we got older and more experienced, we had lots of different teachers. Even though we changed yearly, we still remember these teachers for the roles that they played in our education (or in my case, you feel very bad for the crap you put them through!). And...we each have those select few that made a resounding difference in our lives to this day!

One point on this that I want to make clear is that I believe (notice I say that it is my belief...) we are each responsible for our own Walk. Let me say that again for traction: We are responsible for our own Walk!!

I constantly encourage everyone to read the scriptures themselves and decide what the scripture says to them!! Go to church! Listen to the message! Take away what God is telling YOU!! You do not have to agree 100% with everything around you!! The person preaching is human just like you and while God has called them to speak His message...He is also calling you (and each of us)!!

The thing I think experienced Christians could do to help welcome new believers is lighten up! :)

Seriously...I often think how cool it must be to have walked with The Lord for many years! I look at my friends and even find myself envious of their super-human faith and deep knowledge in the Word of God! It's very intimidating also!!

Experienced Christians should remember this....you are held in awe by the beginners!! That awe is both exciting and scary to us beginners. Think back to when you were first learning to walk with God and how you must've felt towards the people around you at church!

In the past months I have encountered the people that love my views and those that think I am nuts and blasphemous. The one thing I think they have in common is that they are all Christians...just with varying views, understandings, and shortcomings...just like me (I especially relate to the shortcomings!).

So the one piece of advice I have for the experienced: Love! Love your new brothers and sisters. And like a child...learn to smile at our ignorance...bravado...and even our stumbles as you hug our necks and remind us how much we are truly loved!

So embrace who God has made you to be...Touch the lives around you...Love everyone!!

Thanks for reading!

Love your neighbor as yourself!!

Diary of a New Christian: Part II (The Devil's Due)

2009-09-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

I received an email recently from an old friend that basically asked why it was that every time she attempted to get right with God, she would be assualted with things in her life.

What a great question! What a great point!! Here's a little story:

About three weeks after I got saved, I was contacted by a life-long friend named Doug. He had been saved quite a few years earlier and talked a few times, but of course this time we REALLY connected!

As we were talking, Doug quieted me down and told me to listen closely...

"You are switching sides right now...and boy...You are about to get the crap kicked out of you!"

I was stunned! I mean...here I am gushing about my new found faith and all the wonderful things that I am seeing for the first time...and my best friend is marshing my mellow!!

He continued:

"Seriously! The devil has had you as a star player for decades!! You don't think he is pissed that you are switching sides?? He is going to do everything in his power in the first few months to knock you down and destroy your faith! But you have to stay strong in your faith and remember that when you are at your weakest, God shows His true strength. Rely on Him!"

Wow!! I'll say it again...WOW!! Now that's a true Christian brother!!

The crazy thing is that I had never given the devil much thought. I mean...I believed in God and stuff...always had...but never really the devil. I would guess that many people are like this! It's easy to believe in the good power...but believing in the bad power forces us to admit that we NEED protection. Not an easy thing for our prideful society!!

So once I began considering that the devil was real...my mind was completely blown! The Bible straight up tells us that the devil is real AND that he has demons in his service. Satan is mentioned by name in 47 passages (NIV)and the devil is mentioned in 33 more. The Bible also tells us that the devil is extremely slick and rarely works against us directly, but chooses to influence us indirectly through temptation and manipulation!

He also has/is the perfect weapon: Sin! It's our kryptonite!

The devil DID end up hitting me extremely hard and in all the weak spots! He crushed my pride! He toyed with my heart! He caused me to stumble quite a few times...and still does!! But the inital talk from Doug helped me immensly through my beginning weeks and months...

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil -1 John 3:8"

The fact is that the devil and his minions are always at work! Faith is our best defense against their attacks!

The problem is that as new Christians, we are generally weak in faith! Add to the fact that we all think that now that we have been saved, all our troubles are behind us and you have a recipe for failure!!

Our faith grows in strength as we grow in Christ! We grow in Christ through the Word of God...IE: READ THE BIBLE!! I simply cannot stress this enough!! Find a version you like (thumb through the different versions in a book store) and read it! I personally like the NIV version...but whatever version speaks to you...Read!!

Faith also grows through trials. It's funny, but the more often you put your trust in God and see His grace at work...the stronger your faith becomes!! So...Trust in God to see you through your troubles...what do you have to lose?

Now...

For the experienced Christians among us: Help to destroy the MYTH that once you accept God into your heart everything in your life will just fall into place and troubles will simply disappear.

Ummm...Ask John the Baptist (beheaded)...Peter (crucified upside down)...Job (lost EVERYTHING!)...Noah (Asked to build a massive ship in the desert!)...Abraham (Told to sacrifice his own son!)...

Just because you are saved does NOT mean you will not experience severe trials...heck...I personally think it means you are signing up on the "Wish List Of Crap That Can And Will Happen To Me"!! However...it does mean that you will be able to lay your head down every night with peace in your heart and sleep well knowing that your Father above is in control!!

PS - The devil sucks!! Whenever I experience a trial (almost daily), I simply smile and taunt him asking: Is that really all you got?? Most people think that's crazy to taunt him...but in all seriousness...Devil, you got NOTHING! :)

** I am posting these on my phone since we are having technicul difficulties with the laptop. Please share this with anyone you think might enjoy. **

Thanks for reading!! Love your neighbor as yourself!!

Diary of a New Christian!! (Part I: Too Hot For God?)

2009-09-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start a three part series on being a new Christian and the feelings, events, and things I have witnessed over the last few months since being saved. Many Christians have been saved since they were very young or for many, many years! This is awesome...but just as we forget what it was like to be young at times...I think this might help both long time Christians and new Christians a like!

For the record, I have been saved since April 18, 2009. I was dragged to New Spring Church in Anderson, SC and heard Perry Noble speak about Christianity from the Bible like I had never heard before!! I was hooked!!

Like a lot of people, I had flirted with God a few times before. I would go to church...get filled with the spirit...and be hardcore for a few weeks or months and then it would die off or I would slip and stumble.

I would feel foolish! I would feel embarrassed! I would feel like a complete fake and then return into the safe embrace of the life of sin I had grown so accustomed to before.

I felt foolish because I had alienated all my "friends" and shouted the word of God from the rooftops...changed my music to Christian-Only...Stopped watching anything with "ungodly" material. In other words...I had completely CHANGED who I had spent years becoming!!

I felt embarrassed because I had professed my love to the Lord in front of everyone, but I had slipped and stumbled! I had let the Lord down and (sometimes more importantly to me) I had let down those around me! In other words...I had set an incredibly high standard of morality and expected perfection.

In every single case where I flirted with God, I had relied on SOMEONE ELSE to tell me how to be a Christian. I had relied on the church and tried to mimic their standards. I had relied on a public figure and tried to match their public moral fiber. I had perceived God as a being that demanded perfection and Christianity as a club that collected good deeds as their dues.

The supposed extremely high standards, self-induced guilt, and radical lifestyle change always proved to be too much and I would eventually break!

But here are the things I wish someone would have said to me:

1 - Read the BIBLE!!! Study the BIBLE!!! It is you New Employee Handbook!!! Do NOT allow anyone else to tell you what to do or how to act or what is and isn't "acceptable". ** I find this to be the MAIN REASON for my faith "sticking" this time! **

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 - Find a mentor...a trainer...and trust them. Don't follow them!! Allow them to guide you but not lead you!

Finally...

3 - RELAX! You are LOVED UNCONDITIONALLY and FORGIVEN for both past sins AND FUTURE!! Grow at your own rate! Strive for perfection...BUT...accept that we are ALL SINNERS...You...your old friends...your new friends...Even your pastor!! Love them all!!

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. -1 John 1:8-10

This is for the Experienced Christians:

So there I was...eating crow with my old "friends" and slowly slipping back into the worlds waiting and comforting arms. In most cases it caused me to denounce Christianity even more than before!!

You see...The ugly truth is that too many times we HAVE made the church a cold and rigid club to join in the beginning...Cold stares...tough questions...written letters...standing in front of a HUGE group of people and being VOTED ON!!

Do the bars, strip clubs, drug dealers, pimps, hookers, porn sites, or our old circle of friends stare at us...ask us a series of questions...require a written document...or vote on us???

No...hence one of the reasons it is SO easy for new Christians to turn around and head back into their old lifestyles!

It is our DUTY as Christians to usher in our new found brethren with complete love, understanding, AND forgiveness (past, present, and future!).

Thanks for reading! Part II (The Devils Due!) is coming soon...

Dying to Live or Living to Die?

2009-09-13T01:07:00.000-07:00

True story from a friend...One day a young girl got saved at church. To use her words, she had been "drawed by the Holy Spirit and given a shiny heart!". After the service, her and her mom were heading outside when suddenly she bolted out into the parking lot! Worried about cars and such, the mom rushed to catch up with her. Once she was safely to the side, the mom said "Child! You have to be careful! What if a car had hit you?"

Not missing a beat, the little girl replied "It's okay mom, I'm saved right?"

Wow...

My mind works in a weird way (Duh!). Sometimes I'll hear something and while I do not relate to it at the moment, it sits in the back of my head just resonating until one day it clicks. Well...I was at a church a few months ago and the guy doing the offering prayer said "...and Lord I pray that you will come and take my life today so that I can be with you."

I thought "Hmmm....really?" and it hit me that this dude was dead on (pardon the pun) about what he was asking...but would I pray to die? So it sat in my head...just bouncing around...since there is tons of open space up there!

I have always had a death complex. It drove my parents and friends nuts growing up, but I have always been convinced that I will die in the next few years. When I was 15, I just knew I'd be dead by 20...like seriously believed it!! Of course when 20 came, I convinced myself I wouldn't live past 27...etc, etc. It led me to do some seriously stupid stuff...just ask some people!!...but knowing I was going to die released me from a certain fear...

Then about a month ago...that resonating experience from the random guys prayer at the church just hit me!! I suddenly "Got It!" for the first time!

Living on Earth sucks!! I mean...We all know that Heaven is awesome beyond comprehension!! So instead of trying to hold onto everything in this short tour on Earth, I should be rushing forward...eager to die and visit my Heavenly Father. THE SOONER THE BETTER!!!

It's a fascinating transformation when you finally accept this! I mean...I knew I was going to die in the past...but that didn't take away the fear. But now, not only am I not afraid...I'm eager! I literally have no fear any more...

Motorcycle wrecks, lightning storms, dark alleys, cliff diving, plane crashes, Burmese Rebels, ANYTHING...Bring it...I am ready!!

Death Complex + Salvation = EXTREMELY DANGEROUS!!

Two things:

1 - I am here to SERVE!! "God's will be done above all else." is a constant prayer of mine. He has plans for me and I will happily serve Him on this Earth until He calls me home. I will prosper, suffer, endure, and enjoy while serving according to His will!!

2 - Most people (including solid Christian friends) do not get this "Bring on death!" mindset. What about your son? Don't you want to see him grow up? What about your family/friends? Here's the deal:

Heaven is so much bigger than your husband/wife. Heaven is bigger than your kids. Heaven is bigger than your Earthly legacy!! Standing in front of my Creator and signing up as many people to eventually join me are my two main goals!

Death is a vehicle...not a consequence!!

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. -2 Corinthians 5:6-8

Want to come along? Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. AND...Love your neighbor as yourself!!

Let's do this!!

"There's no safer place than in the will of God" = FALSE!!

2009-09-13T01:05:00.000-07:00

I've seen this on pins and bumper stickers a few times "There is no safer place than in the will of God!". As I was preparing my story on Faith, this came to mind: "Wow...that's crap!!" I mean...that's right up there with believing "Cool...Now I'm a Christian so everything will be hunky dorey from now on!".

Paul had a friend named Silas. These guys were like Batman and Robin in the Old Testament as they spread the Word of God everywhere. Well, one day they were in Macedonia and heading to worship down by the river (near MB's van!). Suddenly they were approached by a slave girl that had been possessed! She saw Paul and immediately started following him and shouting "Looky here! These fellas are followers of the Most High God and are telling you'ins how to git your bizness straight and be saved and all!". This went on for many days! DAYS!!

Now...I have to imagine it went sort of like this as the hours progressed:

Day 1: "Well thank you miss! Most kind of you!"
"Alrighty...sure is nice of you to be helping by telling people about us. But you really don't have to."
"Seriously...you're too kind. You can stop."
Day 2: "Wow...all night? Really? I couldn't sleep a wink."
"Ugh! Okay...this is a bit annoying."
"Hush!! I'm trying to sleeeeeep!!"
Day 3: "Sweet mother!! That's enough!! Shush!!"
"Okay...that's it..."

She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. -Acts 16:18

Well...the slave owners had been making tons off her telling the future while possessed, so of course...they were ticked at Paul and Silas!! In a matter of hours, Batman and Robin were stripped, beaten, flogged, and thrown in jail!!

The jailer was told that he was to ensure that these two did NOT escape or else he and his family would be killed. I bet he LOVED his boss, eh? Talk about motivation!

About midnight, Paul and Silas began praying and singing hymns to God!! Now...hold up...just hours earlier, these two dudes had been stripped...beaten...and flogged!! Just so we don't think that this was some patti-cake whooping, notice there is beaten...THEN flogged mentioned...FLOGGED: to beat harshly, esp. with a whip or stick.

But yet here they are praising God while shackled in prison!! (Pay very close attention to this!)

Suddenly there was a massive Earthquake at the jail and all of the doors in the prison FLEW OPEN and all of the prisoners chains CAME LOOSE!! As the jailer awoke to see that surely his prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself. Paul yelled for the jailer to stop and told him that he and Silas were still there...and not going to leave.

The jailer ordered torches to be brought and upon seeing all that had happened, he hit his knees before Paul and Silas and then asked of Paul what he must do to be saved! "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved..."

The jailer then took them...cleaned their wounds...and was baptized immediately at that late hour of night!

When the magistrates heard all that had happened and realized that Paul was a Roman citizen (Oops...it was illegal to imprison citizens!), they sent to have the men released...but Paul was having none of it. He said "Oh no!! Nah uh!! They beat us and imprison us without trial!?? They can bring their politician selves down and escort us themselves!!"

This is one of the many sides I like about Paul...He was a warrior for Christ with a slightly sadistic side!!

Can we all agree that Paul was in the Will of God?? I mean...this dude was a Bible Rawk Star!! But was he safe?? NO!!!

Paul was beaten severely and beheaded!! John was beheaded!! Peter was crucified...upside down!!

Let's face it...being in the will of God is NOT always a safe place!! We are often called to expand our comfort zones and sometimes even walk through immense danger!! Heck...there are Christians right now that are delivering Bibles to the Burmese people...and dying daily for carrying that book when caught by the government!!

There's no BETTER place than in the will of God is a better statement I think!

But Gus...what does this have to do with Faith? I'm glad you asked!!

Paul and Silas had FAITH beyond measure in the story above! There they were...stripped, beaten, and shackled...and yet they started singing and praising God. They KNEW everything was okay because God was in control.

Then...the earthquake struck and the doors and shackles flew open...yet Paul and Silas stayed put...not only stayed put, but began witnessing to the jailer!! They KNEW everything was okay because God was in control.

You see...I think that too many times I "believe" that God is in control instead of "KNOWING" God is in control!! There's a HUGE difference!!

Want to have your freaking world rocked?? Do ya?? When you pray tonight...tomorrow...whenever...pick something and tell God that you are going to trust Him completely and that you KNOW with all your heart that He is going to be in total control...and watch what happens!! It will freaking BLOW YOUR MIND!!

Oh...by the way...Paul and Silas were the ones released from prison, but who do you think found the most freedom that night?? Pray to God and those shackles that are imprisoning you will be removed and those cell doors will be opened!!

Remember to love your neighbor as yourself friends!!

PS - Tell a friend and invite them to join!!

Thanks for reading!

American Idols!!

2009-09-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Moses is one of my favorite bros in the Bible. I mean, this guy was radical by nature. He spoke to God directly, faced down kings and kingdoms, spoke his mind all the time, got angry often (with reason), doubted himself and his purpose, even suffered from some forms of depression according to many scholars...BUT...followed God with a passion!!

I've been studying up on him and came across a story I liked and wanted to share it.

In Exodus, Moses had brought the people of Israel out of Egypt (where they were slaves) and was leading them through the desert per God's command. Now understand that it probably wasn't a HUGE upgrade to go from being a slave in Egypt to a homeless person in the freaking desert...and most of these folks had done so to follow God!! One day, Moses went up on the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and other instructions from God.

As God is showing off His HGTV decorating skills, describing to Moses exactly how to build The Ark, Tabernacle, a Lamp, Robes, Turbans, etc...Aaron, the vice-prophet in the camp, was being bombarded with concerns about how long Moses had been gone.

The people were scared that Moses had abandoned them! He'd been gone a LONG time! Here they were in the middle of the desert...no spiritual leader...no guidance...no phone...no lights...no motor cars!! They demanded a spiritual replacement and Aaron abided. He gathered up all their gold and fashioned a calf (which some scholars claim had the words: Eat Mor Chikin) for everyone to worship.

Suddenly God interrupts the talk with Moses and says "You need to go now. Your people have acted corruptly."...He then says "Leave Me so that My anger can burn against them and destroy them."

Moses then throws his hands up saying "Whoa! Whoa! Lord...come on now! Please...don't destroy them all. I mean...I lead them out of Egypt and all this way!! They are YOUR people...Don't give those filthy Egyptians the satisfaction of saying "See...that's why you don't follow God!"...instead please spare them so that they can find worthiness in your eyes again as you have foretold!"

So God spared the people of Israel on account of Moses and gave Moses two tablets written on front and back to present to them. As he approached the camp, he heard loud noises and voices raised...as he got closer he concluded it was dancing and singing! How cool!!

Then...he saw that a golden calf had been raised and that everyone was dancing and praising the calf! Upon seeing it, he went ballistic and thrashed the two tablets against the mountain...breaking them in two...and stormed into the camp where he took the calf and burned it to dust and sprinkled it into the water supply forcing the people to drink it!

So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him. -Exodus 32:26

He ordered the Levites to walk through the camp killing their brothers, friends, and neighbors. About 3,000 people died that day!

All throughout the Bible it talks about worshiping idols. When we read this, I think our natural instinct is to think of little statues or golden calves...things people worshiped instead of God...or better yet...things people put BEFORE the Lord.

As I examine my own life, I sometimes find that I have a golden calf or two that I worship at times: Money...Job...Women...Relationships...Eli...My writings...

You see...anything you place above the Lord in importance is considered an idol!!

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." -Matthew 6:24

I think we can all think of examples money, power, work, possessions, etc. as idols, but think of these too:

Kids/Family: How many times have we heard someone say (or said ourselves) that our kids come first? Think about that...really?

Pride: This is a HUGE one! I'd say that the primary reason we dislike Church is because we hate being told what to do! But are we really going to be SO prideful that we cannot put God first?? I have found that I personally had to be completely broken before I could serve Him properly...

The Bible/The Church: I saved this one for last...Do you get your guidance from the Holy Spirit or from your church? This one came to mind as I read VERY heated discussions on the different versions of the Bible. Are we really going to be SO CONSUMED in what version of the Bible people are reading that we stop loving them and become hateful? Same thing with churches and denominations!

God first! I can honestly say that as I learn to do this more and more, blessing simply shower over me. It'd be amazing if it weren't written in black and white for all of us to read!! LOL.

Have a great day and as usual, please read the scriptures for yourself! They WILL speak to you too!!

Playing It Safe!

2009-09-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

The way I write is very chaotic...I usually have about six or seven stories going at once...as inspiration strikes me, I finish them up. I recently found a list of "crazy" people in the Bible. It was the perfect thing I needed for this story!

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." -Matthew 17:20

A recent conversation with a mentor went like this:

Me: "It's amazing to me how many awesome opportunities God puts in front of us!"

Mentor: "Just be careful...the devil can disquise traps as opportunities."

Me (after several moments thought): "I guess I'd rather take my chances with a trap of the devils than miss out on an opportunity from God."

There are two types of Christians that I have come to know. The first type are the ultra conservative...not politically speaking...these are the ones that play everything very close to the vest and adopt the philosophy of: "If I never cross the road, I'll never get hit by a truck!".

The second type are the risk-taking Christians. These are the ones that put their reputations on the line by balancing a life between religion and secularism. These people adopt the philosophy of: "Screw the truck...if I can help one person, it's worth getting hit!"

Of course I see myself as falling into the second group. I am out there and even though many friends might think I talk about God too much...I feel like I don't do it enough! Let's face it...I am not normal in any other way, why should I be a normal (Sunday Only) Christian!!??

I DON"T WANT TO BE NORMAL!! I want to change lives in a very abnormal way!!

I understand the safe way of thinking. I even see a need for that approach. There is a need to reinforce our fellow Christians and witness through the way we live. But...I also believe that there is a desperate need for more of the risk-takers. People who will take the love of Jesus to the masses, no matter the color of their skin, sexual orientation, bad habits, criminal history, etc.

Both sides of the coin want to reach these people, but the big difference is that the conservative Christians are waiting for those people to approach them...The risk-takers are leaping into the fire...walking into the slums...sitting down in the bars...hugging necks at rallys...and passing out Bibles in the prisons. Not just visiting once a month, but sitting down with people and loving them irregardless of circumstance. Is that crazy??

The more I read and study the Bible, the more I am beginning to understand that what we define as "Crazy" are things that are simplistic to God. For instance:

People thought Noah was crazy when he built the ark.
People thought Abraham was crazy when climbed a mountain to sacrifice his son.
People thought David was crazy when he walked out to meet Goliath.
People thought Elijah was crazy when he faced the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel.
People thought Paul was crazy for planting churches and taking the Gospel to the Gentiles!!!

I truly think it is time that we, as Christians, stop performing "business as usual" and start thinking CRAZY!!

What crazy ideas do you have??

Thanks for reading!

Let's talk about SEX baby!! (Jesus and the adulterous woman)

2009-09-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that this message hits home for me personally. For others, it will be uncomfortable for two reasons:

1) You struggle with it (either past or present) like I do.
2) The topic of sex in general is considered dirty and shameful.

One day Jesus was visiting the Mount of Olives when people started to gather around him. Seeing the crowds, He began to teach...but in the middle of His teachings, the Pharisees and the Scholars barged in and interrupted. With them was a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery.

Standing her in front of the crowd, they turned to Jesus and said "The Law of Moses commands us to stone her to death," then probably with a sly smile they added "What do you say?"

It was clear they were attempting to trap Jesus. If he said spare her, then he was disobeying the Law of Moses. If he said to kill her, then he was being unloving (which was what His teachings were all about). So...

Jesus immediately began writing on the ground with His finger (wonder which one...) as these men who were known to be perfect Christians and pillars of the community, stood around him taunting and asking the same question over and over. When he rose to His feet, He said "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." -John 8:7

Again he stooped back down and continued writing as the crowd began to disperse...from the oldest to the youngest. When He arose again to face the woman, only she remained.

He then looks at her and says: "Is there no one left to condemn you woman? Then neither do I condemn you...go and sin no more."

The way I see things is that we all fall into one of three categories:

1 - You struggle with sexual immorality currently.
2 - You struggle with the fact that you have been sexually immoral in the past.
3 - You look down on those that have struggled or do struggle with sexual immorality.

Since I'm throwing it all out there, let me be the first to say that this is my main weakness as a Christian. I have led such a wild past in this category that it haunts me DAILY...both as temptation in my current walk AND as my shameful past. I mean...let's face it...when you're this good looking...(kidding!). Seriously though, it hurts my pride to even be writing this because I struggle with it and claiming out loud that it is sinful makes me uncomfortable with myself...how crazy it that?? I know that I will continue to struggle...but as we talked about in the last message...struggling is how we know where we stand. It's when we stop struggling that we are in trouble!

The crazy thing is that times have not changed much from 2,000 years ago! As I read this scripture I have to wonder one thing........what about the man?? I mean...adultery is definitely a two person event...yet they only brought the woman before Jesus to be stoned!

Think about it in today's standards: A man who sleeps with 100 women is known as a stud...but a woman who sleeps with 100 men is a slut! And is not the woman of today stoned to death verbally for her actions??

Just so there is no confusion...Sex outside of marriage is sin. ANY sex! Does that include masturbation?? Nope...unless you are thinking of something or lusting for something as you do it....OF COURSE it includes masturbation!!

You see, we as Christians have allowed our society to tell us it is okay to push the limits...it's just touching, that's not sex...etc...garbage. Sex is sex.

Okay...so we've touched on #1 (currently struggle with sexual immorality), let's look at those that look down on people with a sexual past. In my mind this one is pretty easy. No sin is greater than another..."If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." -John 8:7.

Don't get upset with me...JESUS said that baby!! Look...the more I grow as a Christian, the more shocked I am to find that those whom readily accept God's grace and forgiveness are usually the ones that have such a hard time extending that same grace and forgiveness to others...

So the next time you find yourself in the middle of a conversation about someone else's sex life...Simply look at those around you and repeat John 8:7...I mean...if Jesus said it to a group of men that would eventually kill him...surely you can say it to your "friends".

And for the record, sex within marriage is beautiful!! If you think it's dirty, then get your Bible and start reading on page one...about page three or four you will notice that God COMMANDED Adam and Eve to have sex...Yup!

Now for the meat of the lesson...I want to talk to those of you that have a sexually immoral past. Those that always seem to respond with "But you have no idea of the things I have done."

You're right...But God does!! He knew you were going to do those things LONG before you even thought about it...and it was all part of His plan!!

This forgiveness stuff is a two way street. You cannot nod your head when I write about how everyone should be treated equal in Church because no one sin is greater than the other...and then sit back and say "Well...I don't think I am forgiven because my sin was horrible...".

How did Jesus respond to the adulterous woman: "Is there no one left to condemn you woman? Then neither do I condemn you...go and sin no more."

...Then neither do I condemn you...WOW!! Basically the Bible gives us a very clear and distinct example of how Jesus views our sexual pasts!! You are not condemned...go and sin no more.

Easy peasy. Thanks for reading!!

** As always I ask that you read the scripture yourself and see how it speaks to YOU personally!!