As we are still a couple of weeks away from Easter of 2011, I have been thinking of a couple of thoughts that could serve to be themes, not only for our Maundy Thursday service and/or our Easter Services at Markham Street.
The themes that come to mind most during this time of year are death and hope.
For those who have been truly redeemed and rescued by the hound of heaven, may we live lives as people who have been rescued from death and actually do have a future that is secured in the hope of Jesus Christ. May we live as aliens on this earth and may be effort to bring others into the kingdom as the Lord moves among us...
May we have hearts that are concerned for the lost, but also, may we have hearts that yearn for revival and renewal of our churches and our people...We cannot offer the hope of the gospel to anyone if it is not a natural by-product of the hope being produced in our own lives...
As Matt Maher sings: "Chris is risen from the dead, Trampling over death by death...Come Awake....Our God's not dead, He's alive, He Alive !!"
HE is Risen, He is Risen Indeed !!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Reminiscing about relationships...
Over the last couple of weeks, I have noticed that my 5 year old son has been reminiscing with me about some of the things we have done or watched together...His point to each story is that he loved that he was there with me and that I was with him...
For the last few days, his last memory story has left me wondering.......when was the last time I shared my reminiscing stories with my Heavenly Father about time spent with Him...
What a question!!!...Begs some pretty tough thinking and some heartbreaking answers...Truth be told, I have fewer stories to tell the Lord than my son has to tell me...Maybe my lack of stories is really telling me that my love of spending time with my Lord is lacking...
My prayer is that I will effort and pursue some authentic times with the Lord....
May we pursue times with the Lord that will create memories that we can use to reminicise with the Lord...
For the last few days, his last memory story has left me wondering.......when was the last time I shared my reminiscing stories with my Heavenly Father about time spent with Him...
What a question!!!...Begs some pretty tough thinking and some heartbreaking answers...Truth be told, I have fewer stories to tell the Lord than my son has to tell me...Maybe my lack of stories is really telling me that my love of spending time with my Lord is lacking...
My prayer is that I will effort and pursue some authentic times with the Lord....
May we pursue times with the Lord that will create memories that we can use to reminicise with the Lord...
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Setting Apart Christ as Lord - Sounds Hard !
I awoke about a week ago early in the morning with 1 Peter 3:15 on the forefront of my mind. I have spent the last week pondering and debating with God the 2 main thoughts Peter wrote about in this verse and in the context of Chapter 3 of 1 Peter.
What I have come away with is this: The sufferings of this world are best responded to by us when we can "set apart" or "honor" Christ as Lord and our response to the world is an answer of hope.
We are to be such hopeful people that it literally flows out of us. According to this verse, hope is to be such a part of who we are that it is very recognizable by the world around us. What about you ? You got the hope of Christ flowing out of you ?
It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us our initial foundation of hope, He is the root; it is our growth toward maturity and into the likeness of Christ as we "set" Him apart that gives bloom and blossom to the hope that is rooted in Him alone.
Another thought on this verse, if we as a people could get to the place where the honor and glory of Christ really did come first, would we still argue and complain about the things we argue and complain over today ??
It is simple to do but not easy to live out. But it is commanded of us and is therefore possible.
What I have come away with is this: The sufferings of this world are best responded to by us when we can "set apart" or "honor" Christ as Lord and our response to the world is an answer of hope.
We are to be such hopeful people that it literally flows out of us. According to this verse, hope is to be such a part of who we are that it is very recognizable by the world around us. What about you ? You got the hope of Christ flowing out of you ?
It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us our initial foundation of hope, He is the root; it is our growth toward maturity and into the likeness of Christ as we "set" Him apart that gives bloom and blossom to the hope that is rooted in Him alone.
Another thought on this verse, if we as a people could get to the place where the honor and glory of Christ really did come first, would we still argue and complain about the things we argue and complain over today ??
It is simple to do but not easy to live out. But it is commanded of us and is therefore possible.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Trusting God with my Deep Dreams
The question that lingers tonight is this: am I willing to trust God with my dreams ?? And I am not talking about the ones that involve sheep and clouds. !
Now, that is a large question. I am not just talking about the dreams that you and I have thought of from time to time and have thought to ourselves, "Oh, now that would be nice." NO, I am talking about those dreams that have been placed deep within you. The dreams that have been written on your heart by the hand of God and you know that His handwriting is there. These are the kind of dreams that you cannot forget. These are the kinds of dreams that no amount of difficulty or circumstance can erase from you mind and memory. In fact, in many instances, the more they are tested, the more they are confirmed.
Maybe for you, you have decided that punting on your dreams is a good thing, maybe the safest thing to do. Maybe you think that by doing this, your heart is safe. No risk of having your heart broken, again. !! But you know that you cannot punt on the very things that the God of the Universe has written deep within you. The question is, will you be willing to allow the dreams that God has placed within you to compel you on in your glorious pursuit of an all-surpassing, all-inspiring, all-dream launching God.
Maybe some others of you cannot quite uniquely define the exact things that God has written in your soul and you find it continually frustrating. I recommend that you begin to have a dialogue with God about what frustrates you. Maybe it is time to tell Him that you think that He maybe holding out on you. Maybe you feel that confusion is the state in life that you will forever live in. Talk to Him about it and see what He has to say. He wants you and I to know those things which He has created us for and He wants us to strive for those dreams. The ones that He and only He can write on our hearts.
I do know this, if the dream I am compelled by or the dream's I wish I could drop every for and pursue with every ounce of my being, are from God, He will accomplish His work in due time. Just trust Him, He knows when the time is right. Maybe you have some self made dreams that are really stumbling blocks for you, trust Him with those to. I can trust God with my dreams and passions. Truth is, am I willing to trust myself with these things more than God ???
God, what is it that you have written on my heart, deep within me that would cause me to glorify you with the most of my being as is possible ??
Now, that is a large question. I am not just talking about the dreams that you and I have thought of from time to time and have thought to ourselves, "Oh, now that would be nice." NO, I am talking about those dreams that have been placed deep within you. The dreams that have been written on your heart by the hand of God and you know that His handwriting is there. These are the kind of dreams that you cannot forget. These are the kinds of dreams that no amount of difficulty or circumstance can erase from you mind and memory. In fact, in many instances, the more they are tested, the more they are confirmed.
Maybe for you, you have decided that punting on your dreams is a good thing, maybe the safest thing to do. Maybe you think that by doing this, your heart is safe. No risk of having your heart broken, again. !! But you know that you cannot punt on the very things that the God of the Universe has written deep within you. The question is, will you be willing to allow the dreams that God has placed within you to compel you on in your glorious pursuit of an all-surpassing, all-inspiring, all-dream launching God.
Maybe some others of you cannot quite uniquely define the exact things that God has written in your soul and you find it continually frustrating. I recommend that you begin to have a dialogue with God about what frustrates you. Maybe it is time to tell Him that you think that He maybe holding out on you. Maybe you feel that confusion is the state in life that you will forever live in. Talk to Him about it and see what He has to say. He wants you and I to know those things which He has created us for and He wants us to strive for those dreams. The ones that He and only He can write on our hearts.
I do know this, if the dream I am compelled by or the dream's I wish I could drop every for and pursue with every ounce of my being, are from God, He will accomplish His work in due time. Just trust Him, He knows when the time is right. Maybe you have some self made dreams that are really stumbling blocks for you, trust Him with those to. I can trust God with my dreams and passions. Truth is, am I willing to trust myself with these things more than God ???
God, what is it that you have written on my heart, deep within me that would cause me to glorify you with the most of my being as is possible ??
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Pursuing a Fearful God - Part 1
In this day and age, it is not much of a stretch to say that the idea of "fearing" the Lord is one that is not taught and is an idea that is nearly non-existant in the American Church...It is not merely a matter of why this has happened, it is more a matter of how it has happened. Meaning, the question is not singularly why does the church not fear the Lord as we are commanded and compelled by Scripture to do, but how did we get to the place were "fearing" the Lord has become the taboo topic that it is today.
The simple fact remains that the Bible is explicitly clear on this matter. There are to many references in the Scriptures that render our lack of "fear" as idiotic, ungodly and unbiblical.
Can it be said of the American Church, "there is not fear of God before their eyes" ??? Do we not fear the Lord at all ??? Do we shutter in "fear of God" before we willingly sin ?? Do we not expect that God will/should repay us in the manner that our "inquities" deserve ??? Do we lean to heavily on OUR understanding of God's grace instead of what the Bible teaches about the grace of God ???
Does the American Church ask the same question that Lucy asks in Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" when asking the beavers about the great Lion, Aslan, "is the great lion, safe ? " In other words, is he wild enough to fear ???
I leave the questions to you for now. More to be said later. In the meantime, check out Psalm 103 to refocus your perspective on this God of ours.
The simple fact remains that the Bible is explicitly clear on this matter. There are to many references in the Scriptures that render our lack of "fear" as idiotic, ungodly and unbiblical.
Can it be said of the American Church, "there is not fear of God before their eyes" ??? Do we not fear the Lord at all ??? Do we shutter in "fear of God" before we willingly sin ?? Do we not expect that God will/should repay us in the manner that our "inquities" deserve ??? Do we lean to heavily on OUR understanding of God's grace instead of what the Bible teaches about the grace of God ???
Does the American Church ask the same question that Lucy asks in Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" when asking the beavers about the great Lion, Aslan, "is the great lion, safe ? " In other words, is he wild enough to fear ???
I leave the questions to you for now. More to be said later. In the meantime, check out Psalm 103 to refocus your perspective on this God of ours.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Making Time for Pursuing God
After our first Praise & Prayer night at Markham Street and in the days of reflection following, I am left with a single thought that continues to strike me. Namely, how difficult and uncomfortable it is for most of us to take the time that we know we need/have to take to authentically pursue the Lord of Glory.
It seems that most are willing to make some effort in their pursuit of God so long as it is in a comfortable setting, in a familiar place, with familiar activities and only for a short time...The problem is, can we truly say that we are pursuing God with any effort given all the limitations that we place on our ability to meet with God ???
I am of the opinion that most church-going Christians need to stretched in many different ways, but maybe most of all, we need our appetites for God to be streched and enlarged.
Outside of the power of God compelling us along, I think many like us are asking folks to chase hard after something and someone that they do not highly treasure. So asking folks to pursue the God they save the love above all, even in intentional and structured forms, is asking them to stretch themselves to a point that many do not see worth the effort.
We complain about how the modern day church has put God in a box, but are we willing to pursue God with all that we are if it means breaking out of our comfort zone also ???
Am I willing to give God 5 legit minutes today ??? Am I willing to give God 75 minutes on a Sunday ??? Am I really willing to be still before Him and know that He is God ???
God help my undesires !!!
SDG
JW
It seems that most are willing to make some effort in their pursuit of God so long as it is in a comfortable setting, in a familiar place, with familiar activities and only for a short time...The problem is, can we truly say that we are pursuing God with any effort given all the limitations that we place on our ability to meet with God ???
I am of the opinion that most church-going Christians need to stretched in many different ways, but maybe most of all, we need our appetites for God to be streched and enlarged.
Outside of the power of God compelling us along, I think many like us are asking folks to chase hard after something and someone that they do not highly treasure. So asking folks to pursue the God they save the love above all, even in intentional and structured forms, is asking them to stretch themselves to a point that many do not see worth the effort.
We complain about how the modern day church has put God in a box, but are we willing to pursue God with all that we are if it means breaking out of our comfort zone also ???
Am I willing to give God 5 legit minutes today ??? Am I willing to give God 75 minutes on a Sunday ??? Am I really willing to be still before Him and know that He is God ???
God help my undesires !!!
SDG
JW
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Da-Da, I hun-ga-ry...
Funny name for the title of this post, huh??? Maybe it is. But for me, the words entitled above are words I hear very frequently from my son, Mathis age 3...It seems that no matter how often his tummy says that he is full, before to long he is going to be "hun-ga-ry" again.
I mention this for no other reason than to examine 2 things. First, my response and second, his persistence.
Everytime I hear these words my immediate, initial response to feed the boy so he does not starve to death...I am always inclined to respond to my son's petition that he is hungry and he knows that I can help meet his needs. For short measure, if I do not respond timely enough, he comes back again and again until I either get him something to eat or say no.
Is this not a decent picture of the relationship that I need to have with my Heavenly Father? He tells us in His scriptures that he is inclined to hear us and respond to our petitions for help, so why would He not respond to our petitions for satisfaction of our hunger...Hunger, that is, for Him. Beyond voicing our requests that we are indeed hungry, we need to be persistent with this petition. I think God uniquely rejoices over those of His children that keep coming and coming to Him with a hungry heart.
Father, I am hun-ga-ry for You and You alone.
SDG
JW
I mention this for no other reason than to examine 2 things. First, my response and second, his persistence.
Everytime I hear these words my immediate, initial response to feed the boy so he does not starve to death...I am always inclined to respond to my son's petition that he is hungry and he knows that I can help meet his needs. For short measure, if I do not respond timely enough, he comes back again and again until I either get him something to eat or say no.
Is this not a decent picture of the relationship that I need to have with my Heavenly Father? He tells us in His scriptures that he is inclined to hear us and respond to our petitions for help, so why would He not respond to our petitions for satisfaction of our hunger...Hunger, that is, for Him. Beyond voicing our requests that we are indeed hungry, we need to be persistent with this petition. I think God uniquely rejoices over those of His children that keep coming and coming to Him with a hungry heart.
Father, I am hun-ga-ry for You and You alone.
SDG
JW
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