Quote of the Day

I'm reading through Rob Bell's "Jesus Wants to Save Christians" and I came across this quote:

"A church is an organization that exists for the benefits of non-members."

Nuff said.

Worship Album of the Year....So Far

I've currently been listening to Hillsong United's latest Live Album which is entitled: "Tear Down The Walls: A_CROSS//the_earth."

The cover looks like this if you're in a music store:

In a couple of words, this album is the best Worship Album since 2005's A Collision by the David Crowder*Band.

I can't get it out of my head, my car, my office, or my iPod.

Every song on this album is amazing. I'm not exaggerating.

Notice the play on words in the title. not only is it "Tear down the Walls: Across the Earth," but it is also "Tear Down the Walls between A Cross and The Earth."

If you are looking for some new worship for your personal time, buy this album. iTunes has it for cheap.

Seriously. Go. Buy it Now.

It's Good to Wrestle With Things

I've been prepping a Sunday School lesson for this weekend based on Matthew 7:13-23.

In particular, one part of this passage has bothered me more than others this week. It's Matthew 7:21-23 which says: ²¹"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Here are my hang-ups with this passage, and actually the first one, is a question.

What does it mean to be a Christian?

According to what Jesus said in the above passage, not everyone who professes Christ as their Savior will be saved. Even confessing Him as "Lord" is not enough. Apparently something more is needed.

So if you don't get into heaven on the fact that you call Jesus your Lord, how do you get in?

In Luke 6:46, Jesus gives us the answer in the form of a question. He asks, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?"

You see, it's one thing to say something. It's another thing to actually go and do what you say.

So, if Jesus is not your LORD, what are you basing your eternity on? Your good deeds? Jesus says that they are worthless.

The only way you get to heaven is based on your belief in Christ as the Son of God, AND your obedience to His will.

Now....wrestle with that for awhile.

Quote of the Day

I was studying for my Sunday School lesson this morning when I came across this quote that rocked me.

"In this life, you have to be willing to go against convention, custom, and crowd, being able to be different even if it means walking alone."

- Author Unknown

Jesus said we would face trials of all kinds in this life and a whole lot of times we feel as if we're walking alone. We face persecution from our family, our co-workers, and even our close friends. But if we expect to enter the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14) we will often have to walk alone.

The way to that gate will require effort, sacrifice and self-surrender.

Post-Vacation Part Three

Another reason that I absolutely love vacation is that it gives me a chance to take a few steps back and evaluate things. Especially my relationship with God and with others.

Here are a few questions I asked myself during my vacation:

• How am I responding to all that God's done in my life?
• What is one thing I am currently doing that if I stopped it, it would make my relationship with God much better?
• What can I get rid of in my schedule to make more room for God?
• What can I get rid of in my schedule to make more room for my family?
• How do I need to respond positively to my family differently?
• How can I be a better leader of God's people?
• How can God use me to make a bigger impact in my neighborhood?
• How can I use what God's given me to bless Him more?

There are obviously more questions than these, but my vacations are usually a good time of personal reflection and evaluation. Now, the answers to these questions bring about change. But the funny thing is, none of us like change.

Change is essential to a healthy relationship. You need to constantly be evaluating how you can do things better, or your relationships will always be in a state of complacency, and if they're really stagnant, you'll begin to develop an attitude of apathy.

Make sure you constantly ask yourself these questions above. You don't have to wait for vacation to do it.

If the answers you discover prompt you to make a change in your life, then do it and grow and learn from the experience.

Post-Vacation Part Two

One thing I did a whole lot of on vacation, was spend time with my wonderfully beautiful family.

As a minister, it's very easy to get my priorities confused. God has first place in my life, followed by my job as a godly husband to my wife, Cara and then I need to be a loving and compassionate father to my son, Joshua. However, after that it can get tricky.

You see, my job is ministry, and that means I serve God - which is my first priority.

So do I put my family's needs ahead of God, or do I put God ahead of my family's needs?

Well, actually, the answer is Option C which is neither. Let's break it down more than that. You see, by serving my family, I am serving God. God called me to be a husband and a father before he called me into the ministry of serving and leading his people, so when it comes to the importance of jobs that he wants me to do, he wants me to be a loving husband and father before I even think about serving the church.

And, I spend my time with God by serving and loving my family with the attitude that God has taught me to have. By reading, praying and worshiping God, and doing what he wants me to do, God is always a constant priority in my life and I always keep him at number one.

How do you need to rearrange your priorities so that God takes the number one spot in your life? Remember, anything that is above God on your priority list is an idol - and that includes your job and your family if you're not serving them with the right attitude.

Post Vacation Thoughts - Part One

Well, vacation has come to a close again and its time to get back to what I love to do and that's talk about God and worship.

It's good to take a break now and again though, and I believe God meant for us to do that so that we wouldn't burn ourselves out. In order to help, God instituted a period of rest for the people of Israel known as Shabbat, or in modern day terms, the Sabbath.

Shabbat in Hebrew literally means "to cease", meaning that you were to cease all work from Sundown on Friday, until the stars came out on Saturday. For us in modern day, it would be the equivalent of a weekend. But that doesn't mean that we become lazy couch potatoes. You see, in the modern era, we typically misunderstand God's point about Sabbath.

Jesus and his disciples were out one Sabbath morning and you can read the account of what happened here: Mark 2:23-28.

Notice particularly, Jesus' response in verse 27: "Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." " Jesus tells us that God instituted a period of rest for man's benefit, but it doesn't mean that we can't do the essential tasks that we need to.

You see, the Pharisees at this point in Jesus' ministry, were trying to trap or trick him at every turn and Jesus, being God, was way too smart for their games. He responds further by saying in verse 28: "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Our Sabbath as we understand it means that we need to take a break or a vacation from our work for a period of renewal and refreshment. And now that I've done that for the last week and a half, I feel renewed and refreshed to continue with my service for God.

Do you need to stop and take a Sabbath?