If you could get God to expand and explain a section of the Bible, to make it more understandable to you, what would it be? Which scripture gives you the most trouble as a Christian that an "explanatory side-note verse" or "heavenly foot-note" would clear it up for you? There is one verse that comes to mind for me (although there are many, many more that a little tutoring wouldn't hurt).....
I Peter 3.18-20 ...through whom also he preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built... huh!??!
I want to raise my hand and say,"Umm...God...excuse me...could you say a little more there please."
What verses would you choose?
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Can Old Dogs Learn New Tricks?
How teachable are you? How open are you to changing your beliefs?
Over the past 26 years, many things have changed in the world. The world has changed from the Russian cold war to Jihad terrorists. We have changed from letters to email, from land lines to cell phones. I can now pay my bills online...oh yeah, now we have an Internet where it didn't even exist 25 years ago. The world is constantly evolving, changing, growing, expanding and developing. Are we supposed to accomodate the changes in the world? If we don't, we become irrelevant. If we do, we are in danger of watering down the most important message the world needs to hear.
I have changed as well. I have become more educated. I have gone from a more conservative to a Spirit-filled Christian. Although I am a "techno-tard," I now have a blog, I use the internet and have been known to text (although 10 times slower than my 12 year old). I am trying to enter the 21st century. I have gone from an institutional Christian to a home church Christian. I want the Lord to fill me, speak through me, heal through me, perfrom miracles in His name. I want to become more relevant. I want to become light in an increasingly dark world. I want to serve living water to a thirsty world. My desire and passion for Jesus has grown and changed.
Many people are threatened by change and circle the wagons to protect beliefs while others seem to change their religious beliefs like they change their underwear (my son would be fairly stable since he rarely changes his underwear). But what changes should we make? Should we accommodate the ever-evolving world or be the unchanging force in the world?
Are you growing along with the world or are your beliefs still living in the 80's? Have your religious beliefs entered the 21st century? What changes have you made to your theology, religion or anything else for that matter (other than your underwear)? Are you open to change? Are you teachable?
Over the past 26 years, many things have changed in the world. The world has changed from the Russian cold war to Jihad terrorists. We have changed from letters to email, from land lines to cell phones. I can now pay my bills online...oh yeah, now we have an Internet where it didn't even exist 25 years ago. The world is constantly evolving, changing, growing, expanding and developing. Are we supposed to accomodate the changes in the world? If we don't, we become irrelevant. If we do, we are in danger of watering down the most important message the world needs to hear.
I have changed as well. I have become more educated. I have gone from a more conservative to a Spirit-filled Christian. Although I am a "techno-tard," I now have a blog, I use the internet and have been known to text (although 10 times slower than my 12 year old). I am trying to enter the 21st century. I have gone from an institutional Christian to a home church Christian. I want the Lord to fill me, speak through me, heal through me, perfrom miracles in His name. I want to become more relevant. I want to become light in an increasingly dark world. I want to serve living water to a thirsty world. My desire and passion for Jesus has grown and changed.
Many people are threatened by change and circle the wagons to protect beliefs while others seem to change their religious beliefs like they change their underwear (my son would be fairly stable since he rarely changes his underwear). But what changes should we make? Should we accommodate the ever-evolving world or be the unchanging force in the world?
Are you growing along with the world or are your beliefs still living in the 80's? Have your religious beliefs entered the 21st century? What changes have you made to your theology, religion or anything else for that matter (other than your underwear)? Are you open to change? Are you teachable?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
God Inhabits the Praises of His People
God wants to be with us...Jesus is evidence of that. God has guided His people with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. He has dwelt among His people in a tent that was built to His specs. He has worked miracles and wonders to convince His people that He was real, that He was there. Then He walked among us, helped us and died for us. And now He wants to inhabit us with His Spirit and inhabit the praise we raise to Him.
God inhabits the praises of His people. If we are willing to praise God, He is willing to inhabit. The more we praise, the more He inhabits. The more He inhabits, the more we are able to do His will. The more He inhabits, the more gifts the Spirit gives to draw people to Him. The more we praise, the more people are drawn to Him.
Scripture doesn't say the more we do good works, the more He inhabits us. Nor does it say the more we go to church, preach sermons, go to Bible classes, or sing things that aren't praise....we can do those things all we want and we aren't going to get Him to inhabit. Only praise. Only praise seems to get His attention. Only praise creates an environment in which God wants to dwell.
So really, what is "church" all about? Is it to be a social club for "do-gooders?" Is it about theology or religion or maintaining doctrinal integrity? Is that what God intended? NOT! I think God wants to dwell with us again. I think He is waiting for us to give Him what He wants so He can make us into more than we can imagine. I think He wants us to praise Him so the Spirit can work miracles among us. You want spiritual gifts? Praise...continually! You want to speak prophetic words or heal the sick? Praise first! You want people to be drawn to the church, to God? Then praise. Everything else is just a shallow imitation that gets nothing...no presence, no dwelling.
You want the power of God in your congregation, stop singing goofy "non-praise" or "non-worship" songs (God doesn't live there).....instead sing praise...proclaim the goodness, power, mercy and glory of God. God doesn't dwell in anything but praise. Look into it. Experiment with it. Do an hour of praise in your church an see what happens. Do it every Sunday and see if your church doesn't become a dwelling place of God.
Questions?
God inhabits the praises of His people. If we are willing to praise God, He is willing to inhabit. The more we praise, the more He inhabits. The more He inhabits, the more we are able to do His will. The more He inhabits, the more gifts the Spirit gives to draw people to Him. The more we praise, the more people are drawn to Him.
Scripture doesn't say the more we do good works, the more He inhabits us. Nor does it say the more we go to church, preach sermons, go to Bible classes, or sing things that aren't praise....we can do those things all we want and we aren't going to get Him to inhabit. Only praise. Only praise seems to get His attention. Only praise creates an environment in which God wants to dwell.
So really, what is "church" all about? Is it to be a social club for "do-gooders?" Is it about theology or religion or maintaining doctrinal integrity? Is that what God intended? NOT! I think God wants to dwell with us again. I think He is waiting for us to give Him what He wants so He can make us into more than we can imagine. I think He wants us to praise Him so the Spirit can work miracles among us. You want spiritual gifts? Praise...continually! You want to speak prophetic words or heal the sick? Praise first! You want people to be drawn to the church, to God? Then praise. Everything else is just a shallow imitation that gets nothing...no presence, no dwelling.
You want the power of God in your congregation, stop singing goofy "non-praise" or "non-worship" songs (God doesn't live there).....instead sing praise...proclaim the goodness, power, mercy and glory of God. God doesn't dwell in anything but praise. Look into it. Experiment with it. Do an hour of praise in your church an see what happens. Do it every Sunday and see if your church doesn't become a dwelling place of God.
Questions?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
I Love Books Like a Fat Kid Loves Cake
I am sitting here typing and from where I sit, I can see probably 200 books. There a stack of Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, and Christian self help books. I have books on financial freedom, forgiveness, marriage, Islam, playing guitar, men's issues and hope. I can see books on empathy in the medical profession, prophecy, PowerPoint, and Jesus. Not to mention golf rules, the brain, social psychology and neuroanatomy (I can also see my checkbook...but that is a whole different post). "Talent is Overrated," "Outliers," "Who moved my Cheese," "The Reason for God," and "The Heavenly Man" "Spiral Dynamics" and a magazine article on "Overcoming the Yips." You get the point. I love books.
Do I read them all? .....er...did I mention that I have a lot of books? Of course I have read them...or parts of them....OK, not all of them. But I want to, when I just get enough time. Books are like Tribbles (see 3 posts ago, "The Trouble with Tribbles"). They multiply....I don't remember buying that cookbook, that book on prayer or another book on grace....I mean, how many books on grace does one need...4...obviously. So books self generate and produce offspring, smaller books that are half the size as their hardback parents.
I wish I had all the knowledge all my books have. Think of the home improvement projects I could do, the gardens I could plant and the churches I could plant. I could be an expert on everything...except auto mechanics...maybe I need to run to the book store. Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books checkout clerks know me by name. I am just glad buying books isn't a sin but if it was, I could buy a book on how to overcome buying books.
So there you have it. My weakness of the flesh, my cross I have to bear. Well, one of the crosses I bear. I also can't go through a gardening center without buying plants, and keep me out of the grocery store because I have to get Oreos, the newest cheese and the hamburger is on sale....but those are a whole different post.
What "addiction" do you have?
Do I read them all? .....er...did I mention that I have a lot of books? Of course I have read them...or parts of them....OK, not all of them. But I want to, when I just get enough time. Books are like Tribbles (see 3 posts ago, "The Trouble with Tribbles"). They multiply....I don't remember buying that cookbook, that book on prayer or another book on grace....I mean, how many books on grace does one need...4...obviously. So books self generate and produce offspring, smaller books that are half the size as their hardback parents.
I wish I had all the knowledge all my books have. Think of the home improvement projects I could do, the gardens I could plant and the churches I could plant. I could be an expert on everything...except auto mechanics...maybe I need to run to the book store. Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books checkout clerks know me by name. I am just glad buying books isn't a sin but if it was, I could buy a book on how to overcome buying books.
So there you have it. My weakness of the flesh, my cross I have to bear. Well, one of the crosses I bear. I also can't go through a gardening center without buying plants, and keep me out of the grocery store because I have to get Oreos, the newest cheese and the hamburger is on sale....but those are a whole different post.
What "addiction" do you have?
Jesus Is All I Have
Corrie Ten Boom said, “You may never know that Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”
You can argue religious dots and tiddles but unless you have Jesus, it's meaningless.
You can be "right" and "scripturally correct" with passion and veracity, but if you don't know Jesus, being right is worthless.
You can attend church 7 days a week, 365 days a year but if the Love of Jesus is not in your heart, it won't help.
You can preach the scripture with passion and vigor, but if Christ doesn't dwell in you, your words are worthless, damaging the Word you think you know.
You can sing all the hymns you want but if the joy of Christ is foreign to you, then you are probably foreign to him.
You may have Jesus as one of your possessions but will never know Jesus until He is your only possession.
What does it mean to you to have Jesus?
You can argue religious dots and tiddles but unless you have Jesus, it's meaningless.
You can be "right" and "scripturally correct" with passion and veracity, but if you don't know Jesus, being right is worthless.
You can attend church 7 days a week, 365 days a year but if the Love of Jesus is not in your heart, it won't help.
You can preach the scripture with passion and vigor, but if Christ doesn't dwell in you, your words are worthless, damaging the Word you think you know.
You can sing all the hymns you want but if the joy of Christ is foreign to you, then you are probably foreign to him.
You may have Jesus as one of your possessions but will never know Jesus until He is your only possession.
What does it mean to you to have Jesus?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Gift of Healing...Jenny and Mark's Story of Infertility
Has God ever laid someone who is sick on your heart for you to pray for them? If so, you may have the gift of healing.
Have you ever had the urge to get up and lay your hands on someone in church who has come forward for prayer for an illness or injury? If so, you may have the gift of healing.
The spiritual gift of healing is an interesting gift. As with all Holy Spirit gifts, it is given by God for the glory of God. When a person has the gift of healing it's not like you can go to the hospital and heal everyone there. You heal who God wants you to, when God wants you to, and how God wants you to. The gift of healing is not one of my primary gifts, but it is a gift God has given me upon occasion to do His will. That is the story of Jenny and Mark.
Jenny and Mark had been dealing with infertility for 7 years. They had been to numerous doctors and had been through many medical treatments to no avail. They were telling me about their journey one day when God spoke in my ear, "I am going to heal her. She is going to have a child by this time next year." So I told Jenny and Mark what God had just spoken to me. He crossed his arms and got mad. She started crying.
I asked them if it would be OK if I pray over Jenny. They agreed. So I laid my hands on her and prayed something similar to this:
"Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask you to heal Jenny's uterus, ovaries and Fallopian tubes. God you created Jenny to be productive, for her womb to produce children. Father, she and Mark have done everything to no avail. So Father, we are asking you to fix the problem. In the name of Jesus, we speak fertility health into Jenny. Father, make right what disease has rendered useless. Bring forth life from Jenny and Mark..."
Anyway, I prayed over this couple for 20 to 30 minutes, just speaking what the Lord placed on my heart. I encouraged Mark to pray similar prayers over her every night until Jenny got pregnant. I prayed for them every time God laid them on my heart, usually at least once a day.
So, three months passed and I got a call from Mark. "We are pregnant." I celebrated with him over the phone. For some reason I knew it was going to be a daughter, I told Mark. I prayed with Mark over the phone for God to keep his daughter healthy and viable for a full term pregnancy. He was so excited about God answering our prayers.
Their daughter is now 6 years old, but I remember praying for them like it was yesterday. She is bright, a light everywhere she goes. She is as beautiful and smart as her mother and has a passion for life like her daddy. God is good.
Do you have any stories of God miraculously healing someone? Please share your story.
Have you ever had the urge to get up and lay your hands on someone in church who has come forward for prayer for an illness or injury? If so, you may have the gift of healing.
The spiritual gift of healing is an interesting gift. As with all Holy Spirit gifts, it is given by God for the glory of God. When a person has the gift of healing it's not like you can go to the hospital and heal everyone there. You heal who God wants you to, when God wants you to, and how God wants you to. The gift of healing is not one of my primary gifts, but it is a gift God has given me upon occasion to do His will. That is the story of Jenny and Mark.
Jenny and Mark had been dealing with infertility for 7 years. They had been to numerous doctors and had been through many medical treatments to no avail. They were telling me about their journey one day when God spoke in my ear, "I am going to heal her. She is going to have a child by this time next year." So I told Jenny and Mark what God had just spoken to me. He crossed his arms and got mad. She started crying.
I asked them if it would be OK if I pray over Jenny. They agreed. So I laid my hands on her and prayed something similar to this:
"Father, in the name of Jesus, we ask you to heal Jenny's uterus, ovaries and Fallopian tubes. God you created Jenny to be productive, for her womb to produce children. Father, she and Mark have done everything to no avail. So Father, we are asking you to fix the problem. In the name of Jesus, we speak fertility health into Jenny. Father, make right what disease has rendered useless. Bring forth life from Jenny and Mark..."
Anyway, I prayed over this couple for 20 to 30 minutes, just speaking what the Lord placed on my heart. I encouraged Mark to pray similar prayers over her every night until Jenny got pregnant. I prayed for them every time God laid them on my heart, usually at least once a day.
So, three months passed and I got a call from Mark. "We are pregnant." I celebrated with him over the phone. For some reason I knew it was going to be a daughter, I told Mark. I prayed with Mark over the phone for God to keep his daughter healthy and viable for a full term pregnancy. He was so excited about God answering our prayers.
Their daughter is now 6 years old, but I remember praying for them like it was yesterday. She is bright, a light everywhere she goes. She is as beautiful and smart as her mother and has a passion for life like her daddy. God is good.
Do you have any stories of God miraculously healing someone? Please share your story.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Trouble with Tribbles
I am sitting here watching an original Star Trek called the "Trouble with Tribbles." A CLASSIC! Lovable furry creatures which multiply 10,000 times faster than rabbits take over the Enterprise. Although lovable and sweet, Tribbles can't help but create more Tribbles...to the point of making them neck deep in the Enterprise.
Sin is like a Tribble. It seems harmless. It feels good. It doesn't present any immediate threats. So you pet the Tribble. And then you find two more, and two more and soon, you are neck deep in Tribbles. How do you get rid of Tribbles? Here are some pointers:
1. Acknowledge that sin is a problem. It's OK to say so...really. Everyone has sin in their life!
2. Ask for help. Realize that sin, once established, is not going to go away easily. You need help. Ask God to help you out of the sin quagmire. He is waiting for you to ask and has the resources to help you out.
3. Ask a trusted Christian friend to pray for you. I have prayed for many people who are trapped in sin. It is a privilege to help someone out...no judgement, just care.
4. Confess. Scripture says to confess your sins to brothers and you will be healed. That's cool. Just tell someone.
5. Ask for forgiveness as a way to get back on track...God is quick to forgive and get you back on track. God says if you confess your sins you will be forgiven. Done deal.
6. Ask God to give you a way out to avoid future....Ask God to provide the way out.
Scotty just beamed all the Tribbles onto the Klingon ship. Don't you wish it was that easy to deal with sin?
What has helped you overcome?
Sin is like a Tribble. It seems harmless. It feels good. It doesn't present any immediate threats. So you pet the Tribble. And then you find two more, and two more and soon, you are neck deep in Tribbles. How do you get rid of Tribbles? Here are some pointers:
1. Acknowledge that sin is a problem. It's OK to say so...really. Everyone has sin in their life!
2. Ask for help. Realize that sin, once established, is not going to go away easily. You need help. Ask God to help you out of the sin quagmire. He is waiting for you to ask and has the resources to help you out.
3. Ask a trusted Christian friend to pray for you. I have prayed for many people who are trapped in sin. It is a privilege to help someone out...no judgement, just care.
4. Confess. Scripture says to confess your sins to brothers and you will be healed. That's cool. Just tell someone.
5. Ask for forgiveness as a way to get back on track...God is quick to forgive and get you back on track. God says if you confess your sins you will be forgiven. Done deal.
6. Ask God to give you a way out to avoid future....Ask God to provide the way out.
Scotty just beamed all the Tribbles onto the Klingon ship. Don't you wish it was that easy to deal with sin?
What has helped you overcome?
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