There has been a lot of things going on in my life lately that have stolen my affections from my God. The simple business of life, the overwhelming crunch of managing a store, and the raising of my son. It simply seems as though I have lost sight of the one true way to live life. This morning I was thinking back to when life was much simpler and life was pretty good.
Back when I lived with my parents life was good. I could come and go as I pleased. No one really asked too much of me, but now it seems that life has caught up with me and I feel the weight of responsibility getting heavier every day. I can remember when I would worship God in the car on the way to work and home again. I can remember when I would spend hours in my room just listening to worship music pouring out my heart to God in song. It is my hearts desire to not return to that place, but to once again have that relationship with my Father God as we once had.
I feel like I as though my desire to worship God has diminished in these last days. I find myself wishing I could stay home from church and not do anything. When I think these things I get the feeling that my insides are crying out to once again worship from the depths of my soul. Maybe it is the fear of being real with everyone. Maybe I am afraid to worship in my own way. Maybe I am afraid of being me, of giving my all to a church that I'm not sure will make it. In my heart I think it is all of the above. Maybe it is the pressure I have put upon myself to do current songs and in doing so I have left behind the songs of my youth and in turn lost a piece of true worship that I once had.
I believe it is time to return to some of the old songs of my youth and give more of myself in worshiping Jesus. As I write I am listening to some of the old songs I used to play in worship or at least some that I listened to as a young man. I can feel Christ stirring my heart as I listen to them. I want to get back to a passionate worship experience. Not just a fun listless song list, but deep emotional, life changing worship that can change the smallest life and an entire generation.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, August 02, 2010
The Movement
This morning as I was spending time with The One who created me He pointed something out to me that stirred the passions of my heart. In the Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson there is a section chuck full of scripture with which Anderson is trying to get a point across. One of the last passages was a story of two people called Ananias and Sapphira.
The church at this time was being persecuted by a guy named Saul (who would later become a Christ Follower). However, the church was thriving to spite the persecution. People where selling their land, homes, anything to further the kingdom of God (Acts 4:22-36). People were giving selflessly so that others could be blessed. The church movement was growing and God was moving in people lives.
Ananias and Sapphira were one of the many couples who sold their land to give money to the church movement however, they held back some of the money for themselves thinking that no one would know. Now there is nothing wrong with keeping some of the money, after all it was their land. However, they had told the church that they had given it all. God saw their hearts and struck both of them dead in front of the church.
Now death to me seems a bit harsh, but according to the bible they lied to God.
As I continued to ponder over how this scripture could possibly apply to me today I realized that the early church had something unprecedented going on here. The world would have told them they were crazy, and they were crazy, but in a good way. They gave as anyone had need. They shared everything, held nothing back as their own. Everything was God’s and they lived as if everything was God’s. People where selling land for crying out loud. That’s crazy talk. Selling your land to give the proceeds to the church, who does that? As I continued to roll this heavy peace of scripture around in my brain I began to long for a community like this where everyone gave as anyone needed and where people where going crazy to sell anything and everything to fund the movement of the church.
What would happen if the church today would grasp this biblical concept of God’s ownership? What if the church today went hog-wild and sold their lands, cars, homes, toys, to fund the movement of God’s church? I look around the community that I live in and I see churches that are barely making ends meet. I see my own church barely making ends meet and yet we as Christ followers simply stand by as our preverbal ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Yet I see good hearted citizens giving thousands even millions of dollars to fund a candidate running for state Governor and they don’t even know if this candidate will win. We as Christ followers know how our story ends, we know we win, and we are still hanging onto the sides of the ship hoping that some how God is going to save our churches from falling apart. God has put us here, “the Church” to further his kingdom, but we need our faith community in order to do this effectively. Without the financial resources to keep our churches running our communities will fall apart, we will sink. God wants us to pull together to give as anyone has need to further His kingdom.
In my heart I feel an awakening brewing right underneath the surface of the faith community that I am apart of, Imagine This LLC. I feel the spiritual muscles of our faith community flexing as we brace ourselves to either go down with the ship or to start passing out buckets to start giving toward the movement of God.
There are many ways that we can give to the movement of God, not just monetarily but, with our time, serving the faith community. Rolling up our shirt sleeves and getting our hands dirty. I know in my faith community we need people all over the place. We need people in the kid’s ministry, café, the tech booth, cleaners, greeters, and youth workers, and the list could go on and on. The kingdom of God is at stake!! The ship is going down, and the waves are getting higher. We need to have an uprising of people to stand up and say that “we are willing to jump into the trenches, to start bailing water out of the boat, to give everything we are to see the movement of God go farther.” These are the people we need today in the church and I know that they are there. The movement will not fail, not if we all start giving everything we have to the movement of our God!!
The church at this time was being persecuted by a guy named Saul (who would later become a Christ Follower). However, the church was thriving to spite the persecution. People where selling their land, homes, anything to further the kingdom of God (Acts 4:22-36). People were giving selflessly so that others could be blessed. The church movement was growing and God was moving in people lives.
Ananias and Sapphira were one of the many couples who sold their land to give money to the church movement however, they held back some of the money for themselves thinking that no one would know. Now there is nothing wrong with keeping some of the money, after all it was their land. However, they had told the church that they had given it all. God saw their hearts and struck both of them dead in front of the church.
Now death to me seems a bit harsh, but according to the bible they lied to God.
As I continued to ponder over how this scripture could possibly apply to me today I realized that the early church had something unprecedented going on here. The world would have told them they were crazy, and they were crazy, but in a good way. They gave as anyone had need. They shared everything, held nothing back as their own. Everything was God’s and they lived as if everything was God’s. People where selling land for crying out loud. That’s crazy talk. Selling your land to give the proceeds to the church, who does that? As I continued to roll this heavy peace of scripture around in my brain I began to long for a community like this where everyone gave as anyone needed and where people where going crazy to sell anything and everything to fund the movement of the church.
What would happen if the church today would grasp this biblical concept of God’s ownership? What if the church today went hog-wild and sold their lands, cars, homes, toys, to fund the movement of God’s church? I look around the community that I live in and I see churches that are barely making ends meet. I see my own church barely making ends meet and yet we as Christ followers simply stand by as our preverbal ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Yet I see good hearted citizens giving thousands even millions of dollars to fund a candidate running for state Governor and they don’t even know if this candidate will win. We as Christ followers know how our story ends, we know we win, and we are still hanging onto the sides of the ship hoping that some how God is going to save our churches from falling apart. God has put us here, “the Church” to further his kingdom, but we need our faith community in order to do this effectively. Without the financial resources to keep our churches running our communities will fall apart, we will sink. God wants us to pull together to give as anyone has need to further His kingdom.
In my heart I feel an awakening brewing right underneath the surface of the faith community that I am apart of, Imagine This LLC. I feel the spiritual muscles of our faith community flexing as we brace ourselves to either go down with the ship or to start passing out buckets to start giving toward the movement of God.
There are many ways that we can give to the movement of God, not just monetarily but, with our time, serving the faith community. Rolling up our shirt sleeves and getting our hands dirty. I know in my faith community we need people all over the place. We need people in the kid’s ministry, café, the tech booth, cleaners, greeters, and youth workers, and the list could go on and on. The kingdom of God is at stake!! The ship is going down, and the waves are getting higher. We need to have an uprising of people to stand up and say that “we are willing to jump into the trenches, to start bailing water out of the boat, to give everything we are to see the movement of God go farther.” These are the people we need today in the church and I know that they are there. The movement will not fail, not if we all start giving everything we have to the movement of our God!!
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
More Fogiving Than Jesus Part 2
There is something frightening and yet so beautiful about God using humans to do His advertising for Him. God has called of us as Christ Followers to proclaim His freedom, grace, and love. The gentleman I had the run in with in the store really is a good example of what many of use would like to say on many occasions, we just have the sense to keep our mouths shut, most of the time.
There are way too many of us, who if given the chance would blow an O-ring over something as little as a few dollars and our principles. Where has our joy gone? Where is our first love? Our first love never went any where. We simply stopped paying attention to Him. At first we miss a day of our devotions and then we go a day without praying before our meals, and pretty soon we have stopped talking to God altogether.
You see, just like in a relationship with your spouse or friends. If you’re not communicating something is wrong.
We have to get back to a place of communication with God and as we move toward Him, He will move toward us. The more we want of Him the more He is willing to give, but we have to move. We have to accept what He is offering to us.
If we are willing to offer all of us, He is willing to give all of Him
There are way too many of us, who if given the chance would blow an O-ring over something as little as a few dollars and our principles. Where has our joy gone? Where is our first love? Our first love never went any where. We simply stopped paying attention to Him. At first we miss a day of our devotions and then we go a day without praying before our meals, and pretty soon we have stopped talking to God altogether.
You see, just like in a relationship with your spouse or friends. If you’re not communicating something is wrong.
We have to get back to a place of communication with God and as we move toward Him, He will move toward us. The more we want of Him the more He is willing to give, but we have to move. We have to accept what He is offering to us.
If we are willing to offer all of us, He is willing to give all of Him
More forgiving than Jesus
A few weeks ago now I was at work taking care of business when I was called to the store front register to complete a return. Standing there was a gentleman who wanted to return three items, two small $1.99 books and a pin of some sort. He had purchased them for his small group at church.
Our store (Gift and Bible) has a return policy of 30 days with a receipt. Well, this man had his receipt but it was more than double to 30 days. I politely told the man that I was sorry, but I could not give him any cash back however, I would be willing to exchange these product for something else.
What the man said next really took me off guard and by total surprise. He said, “well, I hope Jesus Christ is more forgiving than you are!” and walked out of the store without the products he had brought in.
At first I could not believe what I had just heard. First of all why is this guy allowed to be a small group leader at church, and second, where does he get off making a statement like that. In my mind I was ready to rip this guy a new one, but on the out side I stayed in control and let the man walk out of the store unharmed.
The sad thing is as I continued to think about this encounter I realized that this is the way so many Christians live their lives. Walking around as if their “their shit don’t stink”. I know I am guilty of it. I find myself often times thinking that I am better than someone else because I am a Christian and they aren’t. This thought is a bunch of piled up, stinky, smelly, crap. The only thing we have that they don’t have is a rescuer and the really sad part about is that God has left us in-charge to introduce the lost to the “rescuer”, Jesus.
Our store (Gift and Bible) has a return policy of 30 days with a receipt. Well, this man had his receipt but it was more than double to 30 days. I politely told the man that I was sorry, but I could not give him any cash back however, I would be willing to exchange these product for something else.
What the man said next really took me off guard and by total surprise. He said, “well, I hope Jesus Christ is more forgiving than you are!” and walked out of the store without the products he had brought in.
At first I could not believe what I had just heard. First of all why is this guy allowed to be a small group leader at church, and second, where does he get off making a statement like that. In my mind I was ready to rip this guy a new one, but on the out side I stayed in control and let the man walk out of the store unharmed.
The sad thing is as I continued to think about this encounter I realized that this is the way so many Christians live their lives. Walking around as if their “their shit don’t stink”. I know I am guilty of it. I find myself often times thinking that I am better than someone else because I am a Christian and they aren’t. This thought is a bunch of piled up, stinky, smelly, crap. The only thing we have that they don’t have is a rescuer and the really sad part about is that God has left us in-charge to introduce the lost to the “rescuer”, Jesus.
Friday, June 18, 2010
More than Life
Today is one of those days when you just wish you could stay in bed and sleep the day and all its problems away. Unfortunately this is not going to happen for me today. I have a long shift to work today and my wife is taking my son to get fitted for a helmet. It’s kind of a bitter sweet thing because I do not want to see my son ware a helmet for 2 months, but at the same time I don’t want him to become a teenager and turn to me and say, “Why didn’t you ever fix my head?”
Marcus’s head is some what misshaped. He spends most of his time laying on one side of his head so that side is somewhat flat while the other side has pushed out due to his massive intellect (I guess I am a little partial). Our insurance does not cover the helmet because it is considered cosmetic, but in the long run Marcus is worth so much more than $1800.
It’s hard to believe the God thinks we are worth more than life.
Marcus’s head is some what misshaped. He spends most of his time laying on one side of his head so that side is somewhat flat while the other side has pushed out due to his massive intellect (I guess I am a little partial). Our insurance does not cover the helmet because it is considered cosmetic, but in the long run Marcus is worth so much more than $1800.
It’s hard to believe the God thinks we are worth more than life.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Seek and Find, But What?
Hang on to your hats ladies and gents it’s a hot one in Michigan today. It’s something like 85 degrees out side and then on top of that it is really humid. It’s a roaster, that’s for sure.
I have tried over the last few weeks to write something worth reading, but every time I get to the end of a thought it seems disconnected and shallow, so I let it go and try again some other day. However, I think today might be different. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s the heat getting to me or the fact that Marcus is spitting all over the place, or maybe God wants me to share something deep and profound.
I have been reading a book called Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris and over the last few chapters he has been talking about grace. I have always held the belief that we accept Jesus into our hearts and confess that He is Lord and we will be saved (Romans 10:9). I am continually blown away by this verse and the verses that follow it. These may be some the easiest verse in the whole bible to understand, but they are also some of the most powerful if not the most powerful. The powerful work of salvation is an amazing thing to watch. I have people who look tired and old and run down accept Jesus and I see them a week later and they look like a totally different person. They look younger, have a better attitude and they have life.
I love salvation, but sanctification is another story. Sanctification is most often times painful and ugly. I firmly believe that sanctification comes through going through trials and hardships (James 1:2-4). James tells us to count this process pure joy because at the end of it we will be lacking nothing, but how am I supposed to be joyful when ______ (fill in your own trial) is happening to me. This is a question I’m not sure I can answer at this time; I guess this is why we study God’s word to learn and grow in knowledge of Him. The only answer I can give is the pat Christian answer that says that the Holy Spirit will give you joy no matter what, but I am not into pat Christian answer such as these.
I want to know why I know something and why I believe it. Not just because some other Christian says it’s the right answer. God tells us to seek Him. I want to seek Him and find Him and hopefully when I find Him He will find me faithful. There are many questions that the bible raises. In fact it raises more questions than answers, but I know that as long as I seek Him, I will find Him.
I have tried over the last few weeks to write something worth reading, but every time I get to the end of a thought it seems disconnected and shallow, so I let it go and try again some other day. However, I think today might be different. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s the heat getting to me or the fact that Marcus is spitting all over the place, or maybe God wants me to share something deep and profound.
I have been reading a book called Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris and over the last few chapters he has been talking about grace. I have always held the belief that we accept Jesus into our hearts and confess that He is Lord and we will be saved (Romans 10:9). I am continually blown away by this verse and the verses that follow it. These may be some the easiest verse in the whole bible to understand, but they are also some of the most powerful if not the most powerful. The powerful work of salvation is an amazing thing to watch. I have people who look tired and old and run down accept Jesus and I see them a week later and they look like a totally different person. They look younger, have a better attitude and they have life.
I love salvation, but sanctification is another story. Sanctification is most often times painful and ugly. I firmly believe that sanctification comes through going through trials and hardships (James 1:2-4). James tells us to count this process pure joy because at the end of it we will be lacking nothing, but how am I supposed to be joyful when ______ (fill in your own trial) is happening to me. This is a question I’m not sure I can answer at this time; I guess this is why we study God’s word to learn and grow in knowledge of Him. The only answer I can give is the pat Christian answer that says that the Holy Spirit will give you joy no matter what, but I am not into pat Christian answer such as these.
I want to know why I know something and why I believe it. Not just because some other Christian says it’s the right answer. God tells us to seek Him. I want to seek Him and find Him and hopefully when I find Him He will find me faithful. There are many questions that the bible raises. In fact it raises more questions than answers, but I know that as long as I seek Him, I will find Him.
Monday, April 05, 2010
The more abundant life
Yesterday at church during our Easter celebration, I felt God's prompting to sponsor a child from the Dominican Republic. I felt it would be such an easy way to thank God for his provision in my own life. A woman in our church started a ministry called "Hands of Grace" that sponsors children, provides medical/local needs, church planting, and microfinance loans to the Dominican Republic. A $35 a month sponsorship provides for a one child, quality education, food, Christian discipleship, medical care, and a chance for their family to break the cycle of poverty. After the service, I found her and leafed through photo after photo of children with bright eyes and big smiles. My heart gave a tug as I came to the packet of a little 3 year old boy named Luis Gabriel. His big eyes, face shape, and even his smile reminded me of my son Marcus. His profile said he loves to play, draw and paint, and LOVES baseball. He said he doesn't have a favorite food because he likes everything and loves the color blue. As I read these things, I felt a connection to him, since my husband and I like the same things!
This morning, I pulled out his packet again and read a little bit further on his profile. "Please pray for my family. Please pray for me as I continue to learn lots of new things every day. Pray for me a lot as I am in remission from Leukemia. Pray that I will continue to get stronger and stronger. Thank God that he healed me."
Wow. The thought of providing essentials for my own son on megar wages, and then facing the daunting task of providing appropriate healthcare for him to continue to live just shook me out of my own comforable world. What if being able to provide these things cost time with your child? And if you didn't, it could cost you the life of your child?
So often I get these ugly blinders on my heart. I spend so much time worring about providing non-essentials for my own son, and I don't have to think twice about his next meal, his education, or healthcare. I can spend $35 on a meal out with my husband when we have a stocked fridge and pantry at home. We live an abundant and blessed life. But what if living more abundantly meant sacrificing these non-essentials? Would I really miss out on something special? What if true blessings meant seeing a child celebrate his 4th birthday, and then his 5th birthday, and his 6th birthday, and 7th...
Enriching the lives of another family just deepened the joy of my own family.
If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please visit http://www.hgworldwide.org/
This morning, I pulled out his packet again and read a little bit further on his profile. "Please pray for my family. Please pray for me as I continue to learn lots of new things every day. Pray for me a lot as I am in remission from Leukemia. Pray that I will continue to get stronger and stronger. Thank God that he healed me."
Wow. The thought of providing essentials for my own son on megar wages, and then facing the daunting task of providing appropriate healthcare for him to continue to live just shook me out of my own comforable world. What if being able to provide these things cost time with your child? And if you didn't, it could cost you the life of your child?
So often I get these ugly blinders on my heart. I spend so much time worring about providing non-essentials for my own son, and I don't have to think twice about his next meal, his education, or healthcare. I can spend $35 on a meal out with my husband when we have a stocked fridge and pantry at home. We live an abundant and blessed life. But what if living more abundantly meant sacrificing these non-essentials? Would I really miss out on something special? What if true blessings meant seeing a child celebrate his 4th birthday, and then his 5th birthday, and his 6th birthday, and 7th...
Enriching the lives of another family just deepened the joy of my own family.
If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please visit http://www.hgworldwide.org/
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Something is a Woft
Tonight my wife and I were cleaning out the room we call our music room. It houses all of my instruments such as drums, bass, two acoustice guitars, and electric guitar. We found a box that my parents had found at there house a few years after I moved out. In the box I found a journal with my name on it along with a bunch of other drawings and chicken scratch. This is the exerpt from my journal...
4-24-1996
Dear Journal,
Today after my school work was done I went back to where the horses were (we had horse behind our house). I brushed them and fed them even though they are not my horses. I like them, they are nice to pet and they listen to you when no one else will. Then tonight just before I went to bed Joel (my brother) came into my room and farted right on my pillow. It was the most awful smell I have ever smelled in my life. Then he did it again. So I got Rachel's (my sister) body spray and sprayed it in my room. It smelled up the entire house. Rachel went down stairs and told my dad that I sprayed the spray. So Joel and I got in trouble. Then we had to air out the upstairs. I must go now.
Yours, Aaron
P.s. I can still smell the stench!
4-24-1996
Dear Journal,
Today after my school work was done I went back to where the horses were (we had horse behind our house). I brushed them and fed them even though they are not my horses. I like them, they are nice to pet and they listen to you when no one else will. Then tonight just before I went to bed Joel (my brother) came into my room and farted right on my pillow. It was the most awful smell I have ever smelled in my life. Then he did it again. So I got Rachel's (my sister) body spray and sprayed it in my room. It smelled up the entire house. Rachel went down stairs and told my dad that I sprayed the spray. So Joel and I got in trouble. Then we had to air out the upstairs. I must go now.
Yours, Aaron
P.s. I can still smell the stench!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Breaking Free
So it is official, I am a daddy. I never thought that I would actually like the name “daddy” but it sticks pretty well. The birth of Marcus was amazing and frightening at the same time. Amazing because the sight of a new life coming into the world is amazing, but frightening because for the first I realized as I held this little life in my hands that I have to take care of this new being. There is no turning back, no opting out, all there is to now is go forward.
Like so many fathers before me I desperately want to be a great father, but the odds seem so stacked against this notion. There are so many things that are fighting for the attention of men these days. Work, education, church, TV., hanging out with friends, it all competes for time and affections. What about what truly matters?
Take heart men, we are the warriors of our families. We are the one that MUST stand firm in the fry. We need to step into the battle with our swords held high and our guns blazing for we must fight for our families hearts. God put us in charge of this group of people we know as our families. We are the warriors.
However, Men we need to WAKE UP! To often our wives pick up our battle gear and race onto the field for us simply because we would rather sit in our proverbial easy chairs and watch the world flash by on the TV screen. We have to be the leaders of our families not the ones sitting on the sidelines.
God created us will a flame in our hearts for adventure, and bravery, but we have traded in that adventure for someone else's adventure. I can tell you that I have found myself more than once acting as if I am the bravest hunter in the world, or the avid camper that withstand anything, but the truth is I am a shell of a man when it comes to those things. I like to hunt and camp, but I'm not an expert, I am still not crazy about gutting a deer.
I talk other men as if I know what they are talking about as they talk about cars and shooting a ten point buck when in reality I could care less if a guy just drove by in a souped up 57 Chevy.
I want you to know that what I am writing is more to me than any other person who might happen to read this. I need this little speech I am giving more than most of the men I know.
So how can we as men get past this outer shell and let people see who we really are? We have to be honest with ourselves and realize that we can be who we are, we don't need to be someone else. I have been trying to be someone else my whole life and it just isn't worth it. I tend to find someone I look up to and try to do things the way I think they would do it. This only thickens the sell of who I am.
Stand with me and together we can crack the shell that is keeping us from the life that God wants for us.
Like so many fathers before me I desperately want to be a great father, but the odds seem so stacked against this notion. There are so many things that are fighting for the attention of men these days. Work, education, church, TV., hanging out with friends, it all competes for time and affections. What about what truly matters?
Take heart men, we are the warriors of our families. We are the one that MUST stand firm in the fry. We need to step into the battle with our swords held high and our guns blazing for we must fight for our families hearts. God put us in charge of this group of people we know as our families. We are the warriors.
However, Men we need to WAKE UP! To often our wives pick up our battle gear and race onto the field for us simply because we would rather sit in our proverbial easy chairs and watch the world flash by on the TV screen. We have to be the leaders of our families not the ones sitting on the sidelines.
God created us will a flame in our hearts for adventure, and bravery, but we have traded in that adventure for someone else's adventure. I can tell you that I have found myself more than once acting as if I am the bravest hunter in the world, or the avid camper that withstand anything, but the truth is I am a shell of a man when it comes to those things. I like to hunt and camp, but I'm not an expert, I am still not crazy about gutting a deer.
I talk other men as if I know what they are talking about as they talk about cars and shooting a ten point buck when in reality I could care less if a guy just drove by in a souped up 57 Chevy.
I want you to know that what I am writing is more to me than any other person who might happen to read this. I need this little speech I am giving more than most of the men I know.
So how can we as men get past this outer shell and let people see who we really are? We have to be honest with ourselves and realize that we can be who we are, we don't need to be someone else. I have been trying to be someone else my whole life and it just isn't worth it. I tend to find someone I look up to and try to do things the way I think they would do it. This only thickens the sell of who I am.
Stand with me and together we can crack the shell that is keeping us from the life that God wants for us.
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