My Addiction.

I was once an addict. 

It started off innocently enough.  I was in the 3rd grade.  I came across some scented magic markers.  Like every other kid in class, I sniffed the various markers.  Unlike the rest of my class, I didn't stop.  I continued sniffing markers throughout the school year.  I huffed at school, I hufffed at home...and before long I became an addict. 

It may sound humorous...but it got worse. 

My parents caught me huffing markers...but they did not know I was also huffing gasoline.  My neighbor caught me inhaling exhaust fumes and my dad put a boot in my backside.  I was punished, lectured and addicted.  I can't recall how many times I got caught or when I eventually woke up to what I was doing but I was addicted for a couple years. 

Some addictions can be bad, even fatal. 

Today I am addicted again.  This addiction is life changing.  It is one that has impacted my whole family.  In fact we are all addicts and we don't want to quit.

Recently I asked myself some questions you would ask of an addict:

1. Can you hardly wait until you are alone so you can experience the feeling that comes from taking part in the experience?
2. Do you find yourself avoiding people because they interfere with your addiction?
3. Do you find yourself daydreaming about your habit?
4. Do you regularly turn to your habit when you are troubled?
5. Do you feel better able to face life after engaging in your habit?
6. Do you get upset if you cannot partake in your habit for a long period of time?
7. Do you prefer to be with other people who do what you do?

I can and did answer yes to all these questions. 

This time I am addicted to Jesus Christ!

Psalm 84:10, "For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."

This addiction isn't fatal but it is eternal!  It not only changes my life but my future as well.   I don't care if people support me or not...I just want more of Jesus.  I want to spend time in His presence, in His Word, worshiping day in and day out.

Jesus Christ has changed my life.  Believe in Him or not, I KNOW how He has changed my life.  I have seen to much to ever turn back. I serve a LIVING, LIFE GIVING, MIRACLE WORKING God!

Plowing Hope

"...That he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope."  (1 Corinthians 9:10b)

I recently read this passage of Scripture, found in the latter part of 1 Corinthians 9:10, and it has been rattling around in my head ever since. 

The thing that stand out to me is the word 'hope'.  Plowing in hope.  Threshing in hope.  Partaking in hope.  I love that word hope.  Day after day I am reminded that without hope, we have nothing. 

Romans 12:12 says, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

I have been a believer for over 30 years and I have seen the Lord move in mighty ways.  I have seen people rise off their sickbeds.  I have seen instantaneous healing.  I have seen unexplainable miracles.  I know God is real.  I know He is active, calling, wooing, seeking, saving and setting people free!

Even when life seems at it's worst, when I have moments of doubt, I go back to those milestones and my hope is renewed. 

That hope stirs me, fills me and I am challenged to share that hope with others.  Too often we dwell on our mistakes or have our mistakes continuously pointed out to us.  The truth of the matter is we all sin.  We all make mistakes.  The Bible is very clear on that.  It is also clear that we are called to love God and love our neighbor.  We are called to share what Jesus Christ did on the cross.  I will share hope, I will share truth in love, I will speak life.  This world is not the end.  I have a hope of eternity.  That eternal hope causes me to rejoice today.

Suffering will one day end, pain will be no more.  Life is more than it appears, God still moves today.

I can't worry about tomorrow.  What comes will come.  Today, today I will rejoice in hope!  Tomorrow is a new day, and again I will rejoice in hope.

Live hope, breathe hope, speak hope and let the peace of Jesus Christ reign in your life forever!

Celebrate Pentecost, Celebrate!

When Pentecost, the Fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place.  Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying.  Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them.  The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer.  All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.  (Acts 2:1-4)

This Sunday marks the day on the calendar when Christians celebrate the Day of Pentecost.  We celebrate the Holy Spirit coming and filling believers.

Sometimes lost in that celebration is the history of Pentecost.  I believe we need that history to fully understand how significant this event truly is.

What was Pentecost?  It was a solemn festival of the Jews, so called because it was celebrated on the fiftieth day after the sixteenth of Nisan, (Mid March to Mid April) which was the second day of the Passover.  It was called the feast of weeks, because it was celebrated seven weeks after the Passover.  It was instituted to oblige the people to go to the temple of the Lord, there to acknowledge His absolute dominion over the country, and to offer Him the first fruits of the country.  In addition, they were to remember and give thanks to God for the law which had been given them at Sinai on the fiftieth day from their flight from Egypt!

A celebration of the law!

Imagine that celebration!

Woo-Hoo...the law!

Party!

Things have changed now though,.  Instead of celebrating the law, we celebrate the Holy Spirit filling each and every believer.

We went from celebrating law to celebrating life!

How do we get from law to life?

Jesus Christ!

Salvation!

At the end of Acts chapter 2, we see that when the Spirit came, thousands repented and were baptized!  The church grew by leaps and bounds and a genuine love for others was on display!

This summer, why not choose life? If you have already made that choice, then you really do have a reason to celebrate Pentecost!

Jesus - the definition of life

I looked up life in the dictionary recently and came across a definition that got me very excited. Life was described as: the experience of being alive.

The experience, I like to call it an adventure. Life IS an adventure. It's exciting. It has it's ups and downs to be sure but come on...LIFE rocks.

Look how we try to increase our life span on a daily basis. People take vitamins to stay healthy, they exercise, use plastic surgery to look younger, go to doctors to take care of problems. There are a host of life stretching, life giving, life fulfilling activities that people involve themselves in on a daily basis.

Yet many people still seem depressed.

They can't figure out why life is so hard and why they feel so down and unfulfilled.

I have the answer...

They need Christ. Jesus IS the answer. Now I will not lie and say life gets easier if you are a Christian, that's just not true. However, when I rest in my identity, knowing who I am in Christ (Gal. 2:20), then I can handle whatever comes.

There can be joy in the journey. We can maintain a positive faith only when we are resting in Him.

So kick up your heals, dig into the Word and have a ball. Celebrate. We have a reason to. Jesus is alive!

Are We Offended By the Cross?

The Cross. A device used by Rome to torture and kill its enemies. The Cross. A device used by God to save mankind from sin! Rome used it for death. God used it so that through death we can have life!

God sent His Son to die for us. Yes the cross is an instrument of death. It is also an instrument of eternal life! Sadly, the church has turned the cross into a religious icon, devoid of power, destined to hang around peoples necks as a fashion statement!

Yet when it comes to our church services, that is where the cross ultimately stays, as a religious fashion statement. Yes it gets mentioned occasionally. Usually in the week leading up to Easter. We trudge the ol' cross out, do our religious duty of mentioning the sacrifice of God and pack it back away for another year.

Rarely is the cross mentioned beyond that. Sin…the very thing which got the world into this mess, is mentioned about as often!

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

I have heard the salvation message delivered many times, often as not people are encouraged to give their lives to God, without nary a mention of sin and none of the cross. Jesus died for you. He will forgive your sins. All very generic.

Are we offended by the cross? Has our church become so politically correct that we are afraid to talk about the cross? Are we afraid to mention sin because we don't want to offend people?

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Love, Grace, Peace. All valid things. God does love us, He did extend us grace, and He does provide peace in the midst of pain. However Sin, Death, Hell, The Cross are just as valid. We are in danger of loving people right into hell!

People need to hear about the sacrifice of Jesus. They need to know it was OUR sin that drove Him to the cross! Accepting the truth of His death AND resurrection is the only chance we have to LIFE!

It is time to get real with a dying world. Let's love them to life, not death.

I Want My Christianity Back (Just A Thought #29)

At the end of this Thought I have a link to another post where I am listing some ministries/churches that seem to be exemplifying relational Christianity. What is relational Christianity? It is another way of saying Christians meeting together in community and fellowship. Meeting each others needs spiritually and physically. To share Christ passionately! This message is simply a call for more of Christ’s followers to do what they are doing—to be missional: adopting the posture, thinking, behaviors, and practices of a missionary in order to engage others with the gospel message.

I’ve been talking to a lot of believers around the world lately, who seem really frustrated by the state of Christianity and the church today. I have received phone calls and emails from people sharing their frustration at what is not happening. The one thing people are saying over and over, is they want life! Realism! A vibrant Faith that makes a difference!

I am hearing this from Pastors, church leaders and church members. Pastors are expressing frustration at the amount of suffering and hurting people within their churches. People are expressing concerns with the number of programs and the lack of sermons addressing their real needs, while it seems politics and giving are the two topics getting the most attention. All around us people are dying....literally. People are physically dying in the streets and spiritually dying in the church.

What's going on? How did we get this way? Where did this train derail?

Jesus came so that we can have life. (John 10:10) He came to restore relationship between us and God the Father. To make a way for us to access Him directly. (Matthew 27:51) In the book of Acts we see the body of Christ meeting in one accord. (Acts 1:14)

For me the section of Acts right after Pentecost speaks volumes. In Acts 2:41-47 we see the believers meeting together in homes, meeting each others needs, even to the point of sacrificing their own belongings for those who have a greater need. There was community, fellowship and the Lord added to the church DAILY those coming to faith in Christ. Their lifestyle was a testimony. Their love and actions were a statement of Life in Christ.

Vastly different then what we generally see today.

We need to get back to basics, stripping away the Christianese (or at least explain it) and the "way we always do things" mentality. We need to quit intellectualizing the faith and speak to the common man and woman right where they are at: hurting! Jesus walked among the hurting; the needy and He spoke life. We have to shake off the spiritual lethargy we have gotten into and wake up!

Let’s get real and admit the mess that we, the body of Christ, have gotten into. Repent of our spiritual lethargy! Get into the Word and out into the streets, meeting people where they are at. Encourage those who are strong and lift up those who are hurting. Share a meal and our lives with one another. Walk with each other in the ups and the downs. Love one another….the way Jesus would really want us to.

As I promised, I am linking to a post where I have listed a few ministries that have inspired and challenged me and others like myself. I encourage you to check them out.

Relational Christianity Spotlight

Relational Christianity Spotlight

What is relational Christianity - Another way of saying Christians meeting together in community and fellowship. Meeting each others needs spiritually and physically. To share Christ passionately!

If you read this blog then you have likely noticed the numerous posts on the Life that is found in Christ. I have spoken often about the need to get back to community style Christianity. To live Christ daily and to show it not only in word but deed as well.

In an effort to highlight some of the ministries and organizations that are displaying this style of Christianity I will be posting some occasional spotlights.

These links do not count as an endorsement on all that you may find on their websites but the heart of these ministries does reflect Jesus.

Lifestream I have linked to their page where they share their passion which to me is absolutely awesome.

Little Flowers Community This little community is a YWAM partnership ministry and I know one of the leaders. He has a passion for relational Christianity.

Crossbridge This church in Florida is very intentionally relational. They even meet at a coffee shop....you gotta love that! Another friend is pastor there.

Present Testimony Ministry Frank Viola's website where you can find a house church in your area: House Church Resource

The Simple Way Their mission: To Love God. To Love People. To Follow Jesus.

The Meeting House A church focused on relationship and not religion!

So there you have it. A very small list of ministries I have come across recently. If you know more please let me know.

Lazarus

Yesterday I spoke on Lazarus. The idea was given to me by my 10 year old and as soon as she suggested it all the tumblers in my head clicked and the message spread out before me.

I noticed 2 things when reading John Ch. 11. The first thing is that Jesus came to give life. So often today, believers are depressed, anxious, worried and discouraged. There is no joy and no Life. No vibrancy. It's sad. I have been there myself. Life is hard yet God can sustain us. He came to give us life more abundantly. (John 10:10) Jesus went to Bethany and raised Lazarus back to life. What an awesome miracle.

The other thing that stood out to me was John 11:35, "Jesus Wept". He knew that He was getting ready to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew the end result, the miracle that was getting ready to happen and yet He wept when Mary said He could have prevented Lazarus from dying. Why?

I believe it had to do with relationship. Jesus wants us to have relationship with Him. I think Jesus was feeling the pain of His friends. Pure and simple He cared! Relationships and Life are two themes that I see God weaving through my life right now. He wants me to have relationship with Him and with others. To share the Life He has given me with others.

Jesus truly is Lord, Life and Liberator!

Thinking outside the Box (Just A Thought #27)

How many times have you heard the phrase "Let's think outside the box?" I’ve heard it more times than I care to. I am no longer going to think outside the box. I propose something new. Let’s get outside of the box, turn and set the box on fire!

Let's embrace God, and all that He has for us. Let's live, breathe and focus on the Lord daily. He is a God of Life! He is also a dangerous God. Let's not forget that either. God in the OT was not to be taken lightly! He hates sin and dealt with it accordingly! Rather it was sending fire down from heaven or opening the ground up to swallow people who sinned He was not a God to be trifled with. He still isn't! His view of sin has not changed. Should we be afraid of God? Remember the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom! Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:9; 9:10 and 15:33 all talk about that. However He was, is and always will be an awesome God. This is a God who created the heavens and the earth, who moved the sun back in the sky and sends a fiery chariot to pick up Elijah! God did the unexpected. He still does. He is worthy of our praise because there is none like Him. He is worthy of our praise because He is God!

In the New Testament Jesus also did the unexpected. He turned water into wine, raised the dead, spit in people's eyes, walked on water and died for our sins! The apostles and men and women of faith throughout history have also seen God move in and through them in remarkable ways.

So why do we settle for anything less? Why do we become complacent in our Bible reading, prayers and faith? Why are some people so set in their ways that the slightest variations in church cause massive heartburn to the regular attendees?

It's time to shake off our spiritual lethargy. It's time to take a fresh view on our faith. Let's renew our focus and devotion to the Lord. Let’s embrace the LIFE He has for us. Let's step away from the things that bleed the life out of us and step into the joy the Lord has for us in His unexpected, fresh ways.

Church is good, traditions are good, God is Great! I am not knocking church or church traditions. I am saying there is more than routine. There is hope! There is Life! I don’t want to settle for second best or a lackadaisical Christianity. I want to experience all that God has for me! I want a fresh awakening! I want more than punching a time card of faith. I want all that God has for me! Life!