VISION AND BURDEN

I was blessed to spend time with Shajan and Dede yesterday morning and talk about the great work they are doing in India. Shajan mentioned that God had given him the vision and burden for the work in India. Thus began the EMFI Ministry (Evangelical Mission for India). There work is massive and meaningful ministry. Is there anything in your life that God has given you a VISION and BURDEN for. VISION is what needs to be done and BURDEN is the personal fortitude to get it done. It is my estimation that until you have the BURDEN to match the VISION the VISION will not happen. God is looking for people who will take His VISION and have a burden to get it done. We cannot do it without God and He chooses not to do it without us. 

Drifting

When we do not set our sail we just drift. When we are drifting we go wherever the current takes us. Many times I have went in a slough on the river and found all kind of junk in the back of the slough from logs to boats to diapers. Neither serving any purpose but just ended up as far back in the slough as they could go. Drifting is dangerous. You end up where you do not want to be and serving no purpose. Refuse passivity. Live with purpose. Here is a great song by Decemberadio entitled Drifter. Take time to listen and if you are a drifter come back home.  

SET YOUR SAIL

A sailboat has many parts that need to be put in place for it to go to the desired location. It is the job of the seaman to set the sail. However, when the sail it set the seaman has no control over the wind. The wind is in the hand of God. This is applicable to the Christian life. It is our job to put things in the right place and order. Proverbs say, "make the horse ready for the day of battle, but the victory is the Lord's" (Prov 21:31). It is our job to set the sail and it is His job to send the wind (wind is often used as a word picture of the Holy Spirit)  to move us in the right direction. Raising our sail is an act of obedience. It is prayer. It is reading and meditating on His Word. It is service. It is being in the right place at the right time. Today, begin to set your sail and who knows where the Holy Spirit will take you.

GREAT CALL TO NEW YEAR COMMITMENT

I think Oswald Chambers give us a better challenge for the New Year than I can muster. Read it and print it out and put it in a place where you will see it often. Highlight those areas that really speak to you or challenge you. Ultimately, the whole thing will be highlighted. 

Let Us Keep to the Point

Jan

01

2011

". . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" —Philippians 1:20

My Utmost for His Highest. “. . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed . . . .” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest— my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point— He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only— my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.

My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness. “Whether it means life or death-it makes no difference!” (see Philippians 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide— for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.

Top 5 well 6 post of 2010

Here are the top 5 post of the year from my blog. There are six because there was a tie for number 5. 

1. Glow In The Dark
2. Can You Handle This?
3. 1,000,000 Pieces
4. Maybe - TMI (This is my favorite)
5. 27 and Counting and Every Road Leads Somewhere

Hope you have been drawn closer to Christ through my blog this year. 

Book Review - Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado

Authenticity seems to be something that people desire in themselves and others. This book is one that will spur the reader on to live a life that does make a real difference. The Bible says in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Lucado give guidance, encouragement and challenge for each person to make their life count for something greater than themselves. He deals with some of the most popular concerns that people use to justify not investing in the world and community around you. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “In the game of life, many of us who cross home plate do so because we were born on third base. Others aren’t even on a team”. For those of us who are on third based, we need to reach out and rescue, restore and redeem that which is lost. You might ask the question, “Can God use me?” Read this book and Max will point you in the right direction. 

Book Review - The Gospel According to Jesus by Chris Seay

I love a book that takes me to another level in my understanding and comprehension of truth especially biblical truth. Furthermore, the enjoyment increases substantially when I am challenged to enter a new place of adventure. That is exactly what I found in this book. I was able to hear Chris speak at Catalyst 2010 which further reinforced the challenging truths of this book. I would estimate this to be one of the best books I have read in 2010. The format is different that most books. Not only do you get the insights from Chris but also others sharing in a Q&A format. I promise you will walk away seeing words like "righteousness" in a new and engaging way.

Out Until Year End

I will not be posting until 2011. Taking a few days off.

WHAT IT DEPENDS ON

Last night an old saying came to my mind. "Prepare like everything depends on you and pray like everything depends on God". If we would all make that a practice then so much would fall in place. However, sometimes all we do is pray and don't prepare. Other times, all we do is prepare and we do not pray. God want to use us to get His will done. We cannot do it without Him. So in "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31) and "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17).

Ingrown Christians

Today I address the Barna Research Megatrend of 2010 number 2 (please read the article).

2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented.

I agree. What I do find is that people find it easier to talk with someone they do not know about Christ and Christianity than the people they know. I do agree that the Christian community is “becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented”. It is easier to just hang out with my Christian friends, for they are cleaner. Here is what I mean. What if I go out to dinner with one of my unchurched friends (if I even have one) and they order a beer? Or a glass of wine? I have heard people say they would never let that happen. So, here is the conclusion of most Christians. If unchurched people are going to act unchurched then we just choose to skip it – it’s just too messy. I hate this about us. What are we scared of?

Here is a short story of Jesus. Read it.

Mark 2:15–17 (ESV)

¹⁵ And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

I'M 25!

I am 25 years old today. It was 25 years ago today that I met Lee Hartley at Eastern Hills Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Papermill Road) and knelt at the end of the first ugly green pew on the right and asked Christ to become the Lord and Savior of my life. I was radically saved and my life radically changed. I have experienced much in these 25 years and been blessed beyond measure. 

THEOLOGICALLY WEAK?

I am writing in regard to the research from www.barna.org entitled Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Research in 2010. Please take time to read the article so you know my base. I will write concerning each Megatrend and my observations from my vantage point.

Megatrend #1

1.     The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.

My Vantage Point

                  I believe the points Barna Research list could easily be said of the population as a whole without a doubt but the extremes would be hard to say about the Christian Church. From my vantage point everyone in our area associate Easter with the resurrection of Christ; however, not all people in the Christian church see faith as the focal point of their life. Furthermore, there is great uncertainty concerning the Holy Spirit in the Christian Church. The last statement of Barna Research reads, “The theological free-for-all that is encroaching in Protestant churches nationwide suggests the coming decade will be a time of unparalleled theological diversity and inconsistency.” I must agree with this. I seems we are moving more toward a belief that there are many interpretations of scripture as well as applications. Which lead to many interpretations of God. This is dangerous. There is but one interpretation and many applications. In conclusion, I do feel that most people are theologically (the study and knowledge of God) weak. This is dangerous because our actions will reflect our belief. Weak belief leads to weak action. 

Jesus' Voice

Do you ever find yourself in a conversation with someone that you wish you weren't? I mean that person that sounds like they just swallowed a pack of cigarettes, or drank a pint of whiskey, or maybe uneducated? That person that just drives you crazy? Your biggest critic!  I know everyone has some type/stereotype that they just try to get off the phone or away from. What about the person who you know they are lying because their mouth is moving? What if Jesus were talking to you through them. Would you hear them? Or do you have those you listen to and those you never give a hearing. I'm working on this and I hope you are too. 


Jesus had a word or two about showing preference. 

N SYNC

Remember the boy band singing sensation N SYNC ? I want to take a moment to write about N SYNC. Not the boy band but a way of life. It is our call to be N SYNC with God's will. He reveals his will through His Word and His Spirit. It is amazing how God weaves a wonderful tapestry when we are N SYNC with Him. Today, ask yourself if you are N SYNC with Him - His Word - His Spirit - His Will. 

THAT WAS STUPID!

Sometimes something looks so good you will do something so stupid. This past Saturday I was fixing fudge and a new chocolate cookie recipe from one of my new books 300 Chocolate Recipes. I was going along and had finished up and was putting stuff in the sink and there was a knife with some cookie icing on it and it looked so good I licked the knife. Sometimes something can look so good that you do something so stupid. I cut my tongue. STUPID!! My first words were, "That was stupid!" 


That is Satan's job. Take a person and put something in front of them that looks so good that they will do something so stupid. 


Just realize you are just one decision away from being stupid. 

CAN YOU RIDE TWO HORSES

How many horses can a man ride? I have seen a man ride two but he had to stand up with a foot on each. I never have seen a man ride more than two. The amazing thing is that a man riding two is a trick show. If you want a warrior he has to be on one horse. Too many times we find ourselves trying to ride the horse of what we want and what God wants. That is a trick show. Pick a horse and ride it.

Joshua put it like this:

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."(Joshua 25:15)

GET ON A HORSE AND GIVE IT YOUR ALL. JUST DON'T TRY TO RIDE TWO.

GLOW IN THE DARK

Crayola has a product that caught my attention last night as it was advertised. It is the Crayola Glow Station. The catch line is, "what is written in the light glows in the dark". That is a good statement for the Christian walk. It is the things that we learn and become when we are in the light that is revealed when we are in the dark. There are so many ways to consider what we do in the light. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world" John 8:12. 


Take a few minutes to think about this statement. 


What I do in Christ, will glow in the dark.

YOU COULD BE

What is a good Christian? Is it that person who is at church every time the doors open? It could be. Is it the person who is a deacon, pastor, elder, minister? It could be. Is it the person who reads their Bible everyday and one, two or three devotions? It could be. Is it the person who is the most highly respected person in your church? It could be. Is it the person who is a missionary to one of the unreached people groups? It could be. 


Jesus set the example and told others to follow.


Two Things That A "Good Christian" has settled.

1. Love God
2. Love Others

This means the death of self. I believe a "Good Christian" is a person who does what God says. Most of that is outside the church walls. But there is a balance. All Christians need to be participate in the body of Christ for discipleship but also in ministry and missions. 

So Christ desires us to be God-centered, Other-centered and not self-centered. Are you a "good Christian"? You could be!

A GOOD CHRISTIAN IS ONE THAT KNOWS TO DO GOOD AND DOES IT!

CAUGHT IN WHOREDOM

God led me to the book of Jeremiah in the past weeks. I have not been real faithful in reading it. It is kind of depressing. Today, I was in chapter three. There Jeremiah is declaring all that God tells him to say. In this one chapter he refers to Israel (His people) as a whore. Why? Because they were a nation who was adulterous. I am sure there were some husbands cheating on wives and wives cheating on husbands, but that is not the focus here. "Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree." (v9).

Israel had replaced God with stuff. Stuff made of wood and stone. We find ourselves doing the same thing. Here is what God wanted proclaimed.

"Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger for I am merciful declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever." (v12).

Are you caught up in your whoredom and forgotten God?

Return "for He is merciful".

Take time to read Jeremiah 3

IT'S BEEN GOOD

Well it is the Saturday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday. The family is still sleeping. I think it is a parents most fulfilling moment when their grown kids are home for the holidays. We have laughed, eat, shopped, shopped and ate. We have decorated for Christmas and even wrapped a few presents. God has been good to us this year (I know He is always good) but I guess it felt right. I have much to look forward to but I mainly want to drink in this moment. I want to make sure I do not get so focused on what is next that I am not in the now. It has been a great Thanksgiving. 


How has your Thanksgiving been?