Monday, May 10, 2010

Purpose Driven Life???

I know I know...such a title as you see above is old news. Another book that swept through the religious world like wild fire, sold thousands of copies, and made another preacher well known around the world. Till this day you can still find a copy of that book on book shelves in most every book store you enter. I, in fact, bought me a copy of this book back when it first came out, although I failed to get past chapter one.

I guess I bought that book for the same reason so many others did...I had a longing to find God's purpose for my life. I guess I thought that book was going to be like a spiritual grab bag. I would reach in, grab a tight hold, and pull out God's call on my life. " What's it going to be Lord...a teacher...missionary, preacher, evangelist, or a deacon?" It took about a whole five minutes to figure out that I would once again pull nothing but a handful of air out of that bag, so out the book went.

I am going to try to attempt an amazing task here. I am going to attempt to tell you God's purpose for you (the reader) in one little ol' blog posting and save you a whole 30 days of reading. Here we go...are you ready...

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind soul, and strength". Okay, that was the first chapter of my purpose for your life book; now here is the second and final chapter. "Love your neighbor as yourself". THE END.

Well....what do you think? Should I find me an publisher and get my name known throughout this planet. Who knows, I may be the next one to go off to some hostel Nation and conduct my own peace talks :) Your right...that's probably not God's purpose for my life. What was I thinking? It would do me no good to publish this writing because I would be charged with plagiarism. As you well know, you can find these very words in what we like to call "the Holy Scriptures" (aka Holy Bible).

You see, this is the whole will of God for our lives. Love God and love man with the same love we have received from God Himself. These are His commands for us. When these words are true in the life and heart of the believer, the what I am supposed to do and the were I am supposed to be questions suddenly disappear because Christ Himself will manifest himself in our lives however He sees fit to do so. Titles, names, and positions don't matter friends. Don't try and put a label on your life. Don't even call yourself Christian. Fall madly and deeply in love with the lover of our souls, and you will find your purpose.

I am not knocking books in this post. There are some good ones out there that will feed your spirit, but I was reminded by a friend of mine a few weeks ago, that we have been given a book that has answers for even your hardest questions...The Scriptures. After all, if any writer ever wrote a book worth reading, he found his or her core points in the same book you already have. Let us read within it's pages and find true purpose for our lives.

Just thinking...God bless!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Vison...One Bumpy Ride

Joseph, Mr "Coat of Many Colors" himself, had a number of dreams that spoke of what God had planed for him many years latter. It was the telling of those dreams that literally set in motion that very plan. Joseph told his brothers, in detail, of his visions, and it provoked Joseph's brothers to take drastic measures. (We all know the story). Even Joseph had no ideal the plan that God had laid out. He had no ideal that his brothers would through him into a pit, fake his death, and sell him into slavery. All he really had was a vision that his brothers would one day bow before him. The events that took place in his life where filled with ups and downs; however, it was every single up and every single down in Joseph's life that set the field, if you will, for the next step in God's plan for him. Of course we all know that the day came that Joseph's brother's did in fact bow before him.

I find myself in a similar experance as Joseph. All I really know at this point in my life is that I had a vision. A vision of the most beautiful thing my eyes had ever seen. This vision has utterly changed everything I am. This glimpse into God's plan has driven my heart into a complete surrendering of everything I once thought, and it has birthed in me a zeal I had never known. I, like Joseph, am going through many ups and downs. My faith is being tried on every hand it seems. I shared my vision with brothers, and I to feel I to have been thrown into a pit. I do what I believe God is doing. I have traveled thousands of miles to be where I am right now because I believe in this vision. All I have is faith, and, believe me friends, in the past few weeks that faith has weakened. I am left with doubt once again. I know I know...I am pathetic. All I know at this point is I still have this vision that God has given me. I must look beyond what I see with my eyes and feel in my flesh, and put my trust fully in the One that has given such vision. I am here in Kentucky because I am convinced God has led me here. Even if everything is not going the way I seen it, I must trust. I mean...in one of Joseph's dreams he had bails of wheat, or something of the sort, bow to him. It did not end up that way. The bales where in fact his brothers. I am not saying anyone will bow to me, I am merely saying that God will work out His plan His way. I must always remember that even if I am being accused, as Pottifer's wife, and thrown into prison. If brothers don't walk with me or I can't get a job... God has a plan. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I still know Who holds tomorrow.

As always...still thinking. God bless!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Satan A Theologian?

“The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.” A.W. Tozer HMMMM...that is something to think about; is it not.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Walk In The Spirit Challenge

I would like to challenge all the readers to walk in the Spirit of God an entire day. Wake up in the morning and pray..."God, please help me to walk in complete obedience to you today. Help me to see You in every single thing I do. Help me to look for you on my drive to work/school etc. Help me to see and hear you in every person I come into contact with today. If you have something for me to learn Lord I will learn it. If you have something for me to do Lord I will do it. This day, and every moment in it belongs to You my Father...amen".

This will be no easy task as we are so used to walking in the normal every day jive of our every day lives, but I want to encourage you to keep on. Give your every thought to the Lord for an entire day. When you catch yourself drifting away, catch yourself, repent, then continue on. Even when your at work and your attention is supposed to be focused on that work, give it to the Lord. Have a song of praise in your heart to sing to Him throughout the day. Even in the most rudest person you meet that day, look for what God is saying to you. You never know, He may show you that your the same way. Do this as an experiment for one day, and see what God will do.

This is how the Children of God is to live every day, but we have so long missed Him. Remember, God Himself lives inside of everyone of His Children. We can't accomplish such a task without Him, for there is absolutely nothing about us that can live such a life. We are flesh, and we live carnally because we are carnal. But believe and trust in the Christ that is in us. I promise, when you begin to take on such a task as to believe and walk in this way, it will forever change how you view life.

I don't know, you know me...I am just thinking :) and believing!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Pour All We Have

Today, even amongst Christians, there can be found much of that spirit that wants to give as little as possible to the Lord, and yet to get as much as possible from Him. The prevailing thought today is of being used, as though that were the one thing that mattered. That my little rubber band should be stretched to the very limit seems all important. But this is not the Lord's mind. The Lord wants us to be used, yes; but what He is after is that we pour all we have, ourselves, to Him, and if that be all, that is enough.

Watchman Nee

LIFE!

“One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organizations do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is life, always.”
... A.W. Tozer

Friday, March 26, 2010

New Podcast

Be sure to check out mine and James' New podcast entitled 2 Walk 2 Gether. Where James and I share more of our hearts on what God is doing with us on this Journey of faith. If you can't listen right away, download and listen later. We hope it will be a blessing to you. God bless.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Conformed To My Image???

For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Rom 8:29




Jesus gave His Apostles a command that we have all titled "The Great Commission Mat 28:19". It is a common teaching in Christianity that says that this is also our command to go out and make disciples. I am in no position to debate that, but I would however, like to point out a few things that are rolling around in this thinkers mind.

I would first like to ask who's disciple we are to make people. Was Jesus saying that we are to start a religious order and then teach people to follow a particular doctrinal foundation that has been agreed on by those men and women who have started such an order? Are we to take a person that has believed in Christ and then conform that person into our particular ideal or interpretation of what we believe is "True Doctrine" of Christ?

Where I come from, when one says we need to do better in disciplining someone, what they are really saying is we need to better teach this young mind to be a good Baptist, or Methodist, and so on. You know, I don't think there is one version of the scriptures out there that translates what Jesus says here in Mathew to mean we are to go out and make Pentecostals, or any other such divisionations (aka Denominations). I know each particular denominational structure out there really believes that are living out the true teachings of Christ, thus the disciplining they do is correct. Unfortuantly, I never see where Jesus ever said that what makes a disciple is one who agrees with the ordinances, bi-laws, or particular stance on rather or not one can loose their salvation. Let us quickly take a look at what He did say defined a disciple shall we.

We will find three deffinitions of what qualifies a disciple; all of which are in the same chapter in Luke. 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life also, he Can Not Be my disciple.
14:27 "who ever does not bear his own cross and come after me Can Not Be my disciple.
14:33 "So then any one who does not renounce all that he has Can Not Be my disciple.

My thought today is simply, should we not do better at making disciples if what they would learn is to lay their life down, all that they are holding on to, and put on Christ? All three of these verses are descriptions of who Jesus is, and what He did for us. Maybe the truth is, it is easier to teach the ways the Baptist believe on certain scriptures than is is to teach someone to lay their life down. Maybe we are not able to teach one to be a true disciple because we don't know how to be one ourselves. It is much easier to teach one to just pay their ten percent, go to church every time the doors are open, and do their best to live out what they have learned in Sunday School, than what it actually looks like when one becomes a living sacrifice that is holly and pleasing to the Lord.

We are not called to be like some denominational structure; we are called to be LIKE CHRIST. We are to be the very image of Christ, yet we are conforming these young believers into OUR image. We even define people by what Name they have on their church sign. I believe I can say with confidence that, just as Paul said, You have not so learned Christ. We must first learn to let go of everything but Christ alone, and then, and only then, we can "MAKE" disciples of Jesus. We must always point people to Christ, and not our doctrinal statement. Christians where first called Christians by non believers who thought that the Christian looked and acted like Jesus. Christians did not label themselves with such a title. When was the last time a non believer called you such a name?

Father, I pray that you would conform us into the image of your Son, and not some image man has created to define what they believe. Teach us to love as you love and to pick up our cross and follow you. Teach us to lay down our lives for the brethren, and to care nothing of our own lives. Teach us to walk in this world in such a way that all who would look on us would only see Jesus. Then help us to teach others to do the same. Amen




Monday, March 1, 2010

The Walk of Faith

In a song by Ricky Skags and Kentucky Thunder entitled "Are You Afraid To Die" Ricky inserts the voice of Evangelist Billy Graham Where Mr Graham said "I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future". These are true words of Faith. Faith says I have know idea what in the world tomorrow will bring my way, but I know that God will be there when I arrive.

Our job as a disciple of Christ is to hear and obey the One we follow, and then leave the rest up to Him. We must trust that if God says so then He will. That is Faith. With out such we have no chance of ever pleasing Him. There is one thing you can count on however, such a life of faith is one awesome adventure.

A friend of mine once said that God leaves us to do the things we are capable of doing, and we are to leave the impossible up to God. God works the works of impossibility. It is through such a work that man can truly see God. We may have a word from God that we must follow, yet we have no "earthly" idea how it could could possibly work, but that is when God truly shines. We are just to obey, and nothing more, except to have faith that God has it all worked out.

What could we even remotely worry our little heads about, when the God who just spoke a Word and created all your eyes can behold, has our tomorrow in His hands. Lets us walk this walk known as The Way, and enjoy the greatest adventure you could ever dream of.

Still thinking.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The School of Christ.

T. Austin Sparks wrote a book called The School of Christ, which is a great book I may add. It basically teaches of our never ending learning of Christ on our journey with Him, and how deep that walk can go. I have, these past few years, have been on such a journey. It seems every moment of every day has been an intense, fast paced, and painful (at times) journey through True Christianity University. I guess it would be better described as True Christianity Elementary instead of University due to God breaking me down and taking me back to the basics. Christianity 101 if you will. These past few years can be best summed up by using the words of Paul when he used the words "simplicity of Christ". He was fearful that false apostles would lead God's people away from the "simplicity of Christ".

I, as so so many others, have unfortunately been led away, or better yet, never been led to such simplicity. I was taught, as many of you, that Christ is about everything but Christ alone. Ministry, worship service, Sunday and midweek meetings, Sunday School, five fold ministry, Baptisms, Church (denominational) doctrine, revivals, healing, and on and on and on and on it goes. To be honest, I don't know how anyone could have time for Christ when we are so busy pouring all we have into such things. Don't get me wrong here folks, I am not saying ALL of these things are bad of themselves, but as it is said in Hebrews "Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Heb 6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Heb 6:3 And this will we do, if God permit." If God permits simply means if He (aka Holy Spirit) would lead us to. I am just saying that God has so much more than what we think he wants for us. God is so much bigger than the things mentioned above, and we have replaced, for the most part, God IN US with such things. After all, why would we need to learn to walk "IN the Spirit", as Paul says, when we have all the answers all raped up into this nice religious package of how to DO church, instead of being The Church?

I know I know, hard to take huh? Think of what I have been through the past few years for God to get me to see such. That is where the "pain" part has come in. I am so grateful for what God has done in me these past few years, and I know, as T Austin Sparks says, will be forever learning in the School of Christ. I have by no means "arrived", but I am more excited to see what God is up to tomorrow.

I have been in Rhode Island for almost a year, and God has taught me much here; in fact between Rose Creek Village in Tennessee and the church here, God has forever transformed me. I am such a blessed man to have walked this journey with such great men and women of God. I have seen THE BODY of CHRIST in her glory, and she is beautiful.

I do feel it's time to move on from this leg of my journey. I believe God has called my family and myself back to the bluegrass state of Kentucky. We will be leaving a great deal here in RI, but for the first time, I don't feel I will be separated from my brothers and sisters here. We are truly one. I don't know what God has in store for us in KY, but I can't wait to see what it is. I am today, more than I ever have, willing to go and do what ever God has for me. Even if that means living in all 50 states, and every other Country in this planet, I will do so because, as Billy Graham said, "I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds the future". I will trust in the One who holds the future.

Thank you Church in RI for your love and your service to our Father. I love you all very much. As for me....I will still be thinking....God bless.