College

Last night I attended our Immerse Worship group in Nyack, NY. It was an awesome time of worship and reflection. It was a very relaxed and come as you are environment. A couple of instances reminded me of my College days.

1. The evening didn't start until 9pm. (I am normally winding down for bed at this time)
2. We finished the night at 11:30pm. (I am normally dead asleep at this hour)
3. We then went out to BW3's, an amazing chicken wing place. (brought back lots of memories of college as wings from BW's was a staple in the ole' diet)
4. got back to house at 1am. (last 9 months or so this was a time Joshua would wake us from our sleep) This house is shared by 5-6 college guys. I was originally supposed to crash on the couch.
5. College pranks. Let's just say I was in a house full of college guys on April fools day.
6. Disgusting bathrooms. We are getting close to the end of the school year, probably no one has ever cleaned them.
7. Decide at 2am that there is no way I am sleeping on the couch and head to one of my friends college dorm rooms to crash at my old seminary housing building, Jaffray.
8. Spend some time talking with the guys in the room I was crashing in. (very reminiscent of late night talks in the dorm room)
9. 3am, other roomate slams door probably to send a message that we were talking too loud:)
10. Finally go to sleep at 3:30am, my body let me sleep until 8:30am.

College life has its place but I am definitely living the good life with Kelly and Joshua.

Pursuit

Yesterday I came home from work and Joshua, my son, saw me immediately squealed, smile, started waiving his arms over his head and then started crawling as fast as he could towards me. While he was crawling toward me his head was looking up at me smiling and he had no regard for whatever lay in his path. He just bulldozed over toys, clothes, and our dog. It was an awesome feeling to have Joshua do that just to be with me. I immediately dropped everything to pick him up, hug him, and just hang out with him.

My son always gets me thinking about how God is. I really think that God is standing there much in the same way waiting for us to come running to him. And once we start running towards him he will drop everything to run towards you. Do you pursue God with reckless abandoned? Do you pursue him joyfully? Do you let things distract you from God? I often wonder what our worship services would be like if we pursued God with the kind of abandoned that my son pursued me with.

Rescue Mission

I think many of us have forgotten what the mission is all about. In today's Lent reading in John 3 Jesus started his conversation with Nicodemus. As I was reading the story it reminded me of the fact that we should be having those kinds of conversations everyday. I was under conviction as I read because it has been a little while since I shared with someone.

The last person I had a conversation like this with was about a month ago. I was in the San Diego area and my car broke down. We had to get the car towed back to the rental place and get a new rental car. After I found a ride for Kelly and Joshua back to our hotel I got in the tow truck for the hour drive back to the rental place. The driver was Michael. He was from Iran. He was open to the Gospel. I shared with him the story of Jesus, Jesus' story in my life, and how Jesus could change his life. Michael shared stories of his life of alcohol and drug abuse. To me it was evident God had a hand in his life. To me I feel like God used me to help Michael take a step closer to Jesus. By the end of our conversation he said he believed in Jesus but he also said he still believed in Islam. I believe he was genuine based on stories he told and other people God had in his life. It is my prayer that those Christians in his life God uses to help him realize that Jesus is THE WAY.

How many of us have a story like Michael in the past month? I am convicted that I have not had one. I have heard people say that isn't my gifting or I am not called to that. That is redonkulous because we all have the same mission in Matthew 28 of Going and making disciples. We as Christians are called to be like Christ and Christ shared the Gospel all the time. It is our job to rescue as many as we can from eternal destruction. Yesterday we took a group of young adults down to the homeless shelter Rescue Mission. We sorted clothes and helped in their thrift store. All of this is to help the homeless and less fortunate. This was an opportunity to live the mission of God in a practical way. You never know what might happen in a setting like that. We had a good turnout relative to previous weeks but the number of people showing up was poor. It made me ask the question are many of us even on a Rescue Mission or are we on the coast mission?

When we get to the throne of God we are going to be asked to give an account.

What will your story be?

Church Leadership

In my opinion leading people in the church is a lot harder than leading in the corporate world or coaching world. I came from an environment where I was leading a group of players and I could lead like a dictator or kick them off the team and they lose their scholarship. In my opinion same with corporate America. In many ways as a leader in the secular world you can lead with extrinsic motivation and get the job done. I do think that if you want to go above and beyond where anyone thought possible you have to lead your people intrinsically as well. But in the church world there really isn't anything extrinsic you have to motivate people. So, if you are leader in the secular world join a church and lead a ministry full of volunteers. You will have to learn real fast how to lead intrinsically.

5 Reasons the church fosters intrinsic leadership:

1. In the church you are leading all volunteers.
2. There is no paycheck coming for most of them.
3. They don't need your ministry because they could just go down the street.
4. You are fighting to get your volunteers time.
5. Most of ministry is a praiseless job. (you might get praise from a few but most people in ministry are not famous)


Here are some lessons I have learned on leading intrinsically.

1. Find out what inspires those you are leading.
2. Give the people you are leading a clear and compelling vision that inspires them.
3. Be transparent with those you are leading. People don't want to follow someone who is fake.
4. Have Moral Authority. Do what you say you are going to do and be willing to do what you ask those you are leading to do.
5. Spend time with the people you are leading. Laugh with them, Cry with them, and be there friend. If they know that you are there for them they will be there for you.
6. Empower them in their gifting. Find out what their gifts, talents, and dreams are and help them utilize those things.
7. Give those you are leading ownership. You do this by letting your vision come from them. Sit down with them over coffee, food, in their home, and anywhere outside your office. This doesn't mean they set the vision. You influence them and let your vision come from them. This will only happen when you share your heart and spend time with the ones you are leading.
8. Give those you are leading your time. Those that directly work for you should be your priority.
9. Communicate stories of success relating to your vision.
10. Empower those you lead to find someone who they can multiply themselves into.

Basketball

To me this is the week where March Madness starts. The last week of the regular season, then the conference tourneys, and then the national tournament. I am going to be watching all the basketball I possibly can so that I can make the best selections I can in my bracket. I am hoping Michigan makes it in after a decade long absence. They are on the bubble which is exciting because I haven't rooted for them to get in like this in a long time.

BTW Joshua, my 9 month old, will be making picks. I will make the obvious picks like 1 over 16 and 2 over 15 but the rest he will pick. I will have two toys with team names on them. Which ever one he picks will be the team. The scary part is he will probably win.


GO BLUE!

Jesus is not a Republican...or a Democrat...

The Church is the reason that the Democratic fiscal policies are the way to go in our current time. It is funny to me that 85% of ‘Christians’ are Republicans when the Republicans have been the ones who have ignored the oppressed, the poor, and the less fortunate. They think that wealth will trickle down to those that don’t have money from the wealthy. How is that possible with them pursuing the American Dream? If the American Dream is about individual prosperity then how does wealth trickle when we are being selfish? Acts 2:45 says, “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” If this was an example set for us by the early church are we doing it? 50% of our population in America is Protestant. 35% of the population in America is Evangelical. More than 100 million Americans are in the evangelical church. What would America look like if the church lived like the church? Would we ever go into recession?

God does not have a political party. God is about the oppressed. God is about justice. God is love. God pursues us. God wants the church to be like Him. God is about sacrifice. God is about giving.

I really dislike the fact that it seems God has been tagged as in full support for the Republican party. Every year the ‘Christians’ are manipulated to think that the Republican party is the Christian party. This is simply not true. It is unfortunate that the Republican party manipulates us into thinking that if you vote for them you are voting for life. So, obviously as a Christian I do not want to see abortion. Abortion is not of God. So, we get on the very righteous horse to save lives and in so doing we think we need to fall in line with every Republican practice. So, essentially you become non-Christian in your thinking if you disagree with any Republican policy. What the heck is that? I am tired of this. I am tired of being manipulated. I want to be seen as an independent thinker. I want to be true to Christ. Here is what politicians have really manipulated us into believing as Christians: That the American Dream is righteous. They take an obvious moral stand in abortion and manipulate us into buying into the idea that the American Dream is of God or something. WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It is time to stop buying into the immorality of the American Dream. The most dangerous part is it is so subtle. This is the one issue that both political parties want us to buy into and it is one issue that everyone in America wants. Why don’t the Christ followers make a stand against this? To me abortion and same sex marriage are only moral symptoms of a larger problem that we Christians have helped to fuel.


The American Dream is defined as a “dream of social order in which each man and woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are regardless of birth” by James Truslow Adams in his book Epic of America. The American Dream began as an opportunity to achieve great material prosperity. The context that the American Dream is referred to is always material wealth. Even in Adams’ definition which does not directly address material wealth but later he says that material wealth has counted plenty for those in pursuit of the American Dream. Material wealth is the end goal for those in pursuit of the American Dream. We hear all the time let’s return to prosperity, let’s improve our prosperity, and let me see how I can help myself and see myself attain the fullest stature. Is this the dream God has for us?


John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” This passage would lead one to think that Jesus wants us to have a full life in how we define it. But, Jesus addresses the American Dream as defined above in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In fact, the story of the Rich Young Ruler says it all when Jesus asks him to sell everything and come follow him. Have you sacrificed anything lately? We just want Jesus so we can get to heaven and have him when times are tough but we also want all the immorality that this world offers in a full life. We want the best of both worlds. If we haven’t sacrificed to follow Jesus are we even a follower of Him? By our fruits they will know that we are a follower of Jesus. Does your fruit prove you to be a follower of Jesus? Or does your life look just like those of this world?

Hope. That is what people want. Hope for a better future. Hope for life to the full. Jesus is the one that truly gives life to the fullest. The church has not done its job of showing people the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. So, now the government is trying to provide that hope. All Barack Obama shows is that the church is not being the church. It is sobering. I voted for Barack because I feel his policies are more closely in line with the ways of Jesus. It is sad because we should not be forced by the government to give to the poor and oppressed. I used to vote Republican because I thought less taxes meant more money in the pocket and more opportunity for the Church to be the Church. But that is failed because the church is not the church. My heart is to see the broken, the oppressed, and the poor find hope. As the government implements solid policies to help them we as the church should be the church. If the church becomes what God intended then many of the political debates go away because the issues begin to diminish.

Acts 2:42-47 has many things to say about politics. What if 100 million people lived this way? What if we had everything in common and sold possessions so that everyone was without need? What would this mean for healthcare? for Abortion? for same sex marriage? Financially?

I think that the financial benefits for people are obvious. But what about healthcare, if we were living like Acts 2 then healthcare for everyone would be provided for by each other. If we lived in a community like this we would have the best healthcare ever and everyone would have it. This would happen because we would be living selflessly not selfishly. If everyone felt loved and accepted there would not be as high a need for abortion. Abortions happen just as frequently in the church as outside. This is because people feel shame, guilty, and don’t feel they can be honest with the church because they will be looked down upon. If we had a Church of love, grace, and forgiveness the need for Abortion would greatly diminish. The same thing goes for same sex marriage. Many of the people who are drawn to homosexuality are drawn to it because of the lack of love in their life. A community like Acts 2 would greatly diminish the need for same sex marriage. I understand that because of ‘The Fall’ and the sinful world we have from Adam that some people might be born a homosexual. I also understand that this is a controversial stance to take but even if you are born gay and the Church is being the Church then it will be a lot easier to deal with that as well as any other addiction that isn’t as overt.

It is our job as one who is in the church to be in the world but not of the world, we are to create culture not succumb to the culture, and we are to lead a revolutionary movement. The early church was a revolutionary movement. It was a lot harder to be a Christian then than it is now and yet how come it seems we have a lot harder time actually being what God called us to?

Greed has set in on the Church. It is obvious with this recession. Because the Church has not been the Church for so long the government is stepping up. It is my hope that the steps taken by the government will help the church to see their flaws and step up to the plate and change this culture. Jesus is definitely not a Republican because I think that over the last 20 years Republican policies have just shown greed and selfishness. Jesus is definitely not a Democrat either as hope is ultimately found in Jesus not the almighty dollar. But right now the Democrats seem to be the party that most addresses issues Jesus addresses. Some may not like that last statement and if you didn’t then ask yourself this question: What are you doing to address the issues Jesus addresses?

It is my desire that this be said of me, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me…” (Matthew 25:34-36)


…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)


What are you doing for the least of these?

Let’s become the revolutionary movement Jesus intended.

Let’s change the world.

Let’s be the Church.

The Anointing

What is the anointing and how can we receive it? Why should we receive it?

There are so many times when 2 different bands play the same worship song and in pretty much the same way yet one gets a much better response. Why is that? I believe it is because of anointing. Yes, there is talent involved but anointing overrides talent every single time. If we are a leader we can choke out the anointing. If we want our people working for us to have an anointing we have to pursue the same anointing. The anointing is simply where God is.

Exodus 30:25-29 says, "25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. 26 Then use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy."


The purpose of the anointing oil in the old testament was to purify or anoint where God was or what was most holy. Now, because Jesus died and the holy of holies no longer exists like it did then it now exists in us as believers. The word "Christ" literally translated means "Anointed". According to scripture in Romans 8:11 we have the same power that raised Christ from the dead. In John 14:12 Jesus talks about how because he is going to the father we will do even greater things than him.

All of this study and more would lead you to believe and I believe that we all have the same anointing. But we are still stuck with the question of why does it seem that the Spirit's anointing is more on one person or ministry than another. I believe it is because one has learned to walk and live in that anointing and one has not. 1 John 2:20 says, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One." John is speaking to the church here and reminding them that they know the truth because of their anointing. He is encouraging them to walk in that anointing and put off the anti-christ. The language he uses seems to be that he is reminding them of what they have which you could say that they weren't walking in it at that time.

What would our church or ministry look like if the leaders walked in the anointing of God everyday? What would our church look like if we all, as believers, walked in the anointing of God everyday?


I think that if we all did this the presence of God would be so powerful when we got together as believers that the fire would come. The fire of God. The passion of God. The revolution of God would come to our city and it would never ever be the same.


Father, may I walk in your anointing today. May you guide my steps. May your Spirit's presence be upon me. Use me father to start a revolution.

Amen!