Journal Thoughts 2 / 8 / 06

From my journal dated Feb. 8, 2006 (Wednesday)

Sometimes I think we spend vast amounts of energy, time and money running around tyring to define who God is. This effort is would be the same as trying to explain what water feels like, or what chocolate taste like. God isn't to be defined but lived. We have been called into relationship and relationship is to be experienced not studied. It is a hands on, we get dirty, we have doubts-follow Jesus existence. The relationship that has been given to us through our salvation does not rise or fall on the conditions or events that come from the world. We simply trust God at every turn, at every set back--How could we do anything less?
Acts 1:8 -- But you shall receive power of the kind which God has and exerts after the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

The Holy Spirit is not sent to comfort or prosper anyone who has no intention of actively embracing and walking out this life that comes with salvation. We become the extension of the mission of Jesus when He walked the earth. To make disciples. To teach, equip and send out.
We are not called to mass production but rather, work in the area of craftsmanship. Hands on as the Holy Spirit guides us.
God defines us.
We live it.
God on you.........
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Journal Entry 4 / 29 / 02

I am currently posting on journal entries that I have made over the years.
I started keeping a journal in July of 1991.
Strange as it is, it is sometimes disconcerting to look back at where I was and the things I struggled with. Some seem childish now and I wonder at the lack of commitment I had in following Jesus. But the entries are who I was at that moment in time.

4/29/02
How much of what I perceive as me chasing God-------is in reality, only a half-hearted attempt. That my heart is never fully engaged in this pursuit of His presence, His purity, His power and above all, His purpose for me and my life?
I fear that my love for Jesus is shallow and subject to the ebbs and flows of my flesh. God, strengthen me, every part of me and let me not cower from what lies with in me. That by your strength and your Holy Spirit illuminating me, every part of me, I will not cower from what lies within me. I simply acknowledge it and say "yes Lord, Forgive me, cleanse me and empower me for your purpose.
I need your grace to pry my fingers from all that is detestable in your eyes. Let your transformation change what I hold to have value. Show me eternity in everything I see, touch, taste, smell and hear. Let me see the eternal behind all my motives that I may walk in your ways.

Thought: 2/24/09
Some may read my entry and wonder at the things I struggle with. I feel that the more honest I can be in my daily walk, the better I am to acknowledge the help I need and therefore, receive it. I see people who walk around as if they have no struggles. No attitudes that are contrary to God's will. No behavior's that are not in live with the word of God. I do not believe we ever reach a point on this side of heaven, where we do not have struggles. That is why I desire to be as transparent as I can so as not to grieve the Holy Spirit. If something is uncovered in my heart then I want to acknowledge it and ask God's help to be applied.
God on you.......
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Thought From 4/ 18 / 08

Journal entry:
We make the same mistakes as the nation of Israel did in the Old Testament when we put the interests of our nation before the interests of the Kingdom of God.

God is only god over this nation as much as we will let him be.
We have relegated him to currency.
We have kept his name in order to curry favor when elections are held.
He is no more than an ideal.
The desires of our flesh, our sinful nature, drive us. We are not waking by faith but by lust.
God help our nation. God remember the revivals you birthed in this country and let them be resurrected in the people today.
Remember the men and women you have called over the years to leave everything to follow you. Raise up a new generation. I believe that we are not beyond your reach or your mercy, but we are desperately in need of being awakened and turned from our apathy and sin.
We have lost vision to see the truth that we exist only because yousay we can, O' Lord.
God help me to not loose sight of you today. Not just with my eyes but with my spirit. Let me follow you and hear you as you teach me.

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Why Are We Surprised?

Philippians 2:14-15
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.......

I spend too much time on the Internet some days. I wind up checking out news articles and editorials written by different people. There are a lot of opinions and views floating around out there in cyber space. I think the one view that surprises me is from Christians.

Some have an idea that we are to make ourselves and our churches into what ever appeases the masses and brings (what some suppose to be) unity and community. There are some who have blogs and write about their horror and shock of how society views Christianity. I don't know why this comes as a surprise. Believer's have always been the target of society. The first church was kicked out of Jerusalem because of persecution. I know that we currently don't have to worry about being thrown to hungry lions or having soldiers break down our doors to carry us away in the night. But it doesn't take a prophet to see that our society and world has sold its soul for the sake of diversity. There are many ways to God, many path's that all diverge. Everyone is tolerant to these opinions except when it comes to Christianity. We are viewed as the "fly in the ointment" so to speak because of Jesus' words that "no one comes to the Father except by me."
That really ruffles the feathers of society. The thought that God might limit humanities access to Him and that it can only happen when one accepts God on His terms is offensive to many.

Too many are trying to make God and His church into their image. I know that it is a fine line between being relevant and throwing away everything in order to appease folks. I wrestled with this when I was at Vineyard and we were doing the HOUSE OF BLUE. Part of what we did there was because that was who we were. We were coming from a corporate personality that said, "We are going to do what we know how to do." We didn't set out to create something. We didn't plan on hosting a service a certain way. House of Blue was a by-product of our personality and make up. It's the same with our Saturday night service at Rapha. It looks like it does because that is who we are. I'm very careful to not cross a line in order to make something happen. Or to do it because I want people to respond. I want God to touch us and from that interaction we will respond to God's call. Bottom line to this post is that we should not be shocked when the world hates us. We should not sell our soul to get the world to accept us. It (not good English) AIN'T going to happen.

I have to stick to the basics:
1.) Teach the Word of God / 2.) Equip people to follow Him 3.) Teach how to worship. If I do this, then I have done what God has told me to do.

God on you.......

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Steeple Song

Seems as though the things we think are important, He doesn't see it the same way.

"......And I will build my church."

God on you.......
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Look

The Book of Revelation opens with these words: The Revelation of Jesus Christ ...........

How much revelation do we need? How much of Christ do you wish to see? Don't limit this unveiling of Jesus to only what you can perceive with your eyes. Don't confuse revelation with information. Revelation involves seeing and understanding in the light of God's truth.Open you heart, your understanding, all your senses to grow in wisdom as to what Jesus means to you personally. I believe that Jesus' call to salvation is a universal call, in that it is made to humanity. I believe that relationship with Him is on an individual basis and just as all relationships take on traits and characteristics of ones involved, so too will Christ construct and fashion a uniqueness to your relationship with Him.

What an incredible thought that the God of creation wants to interact with me not through a list of do and don't but through communication that is between Him and me. As He instructs, encourages, disciplines and guides me through the day. At the end of the day I should be able to truly say, "today I have seen more of you, Lord, and the way I understand you now is different than when I woke up this morning." That is spiritual growth.

God on you.........

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Spiritual Poverty

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

You can be rich in the world and yet be poor in spirit.

You can be surrounded by everything that would feed your soulish desires and nature and yet be as empty and broken as a man living on skid row.

Truly when a person looks to themselves in truth, they see themselves exactly as God sees them.

Someone at the end of their wits and rope.

We have run the world's race as long as we could.
We have expended ourselves in this race and have nothing of eternal value to show for it.

It is this lot in life that when we look to God we find one of His greatest blessings.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We see our own poverty which causes us to turn upward.
To cry out to God, "Save me."

With that thought and heart, God blesses us with the kingdom of heaven. His rule and reign here on earth.

I am fortunate beyond measure to be in a place where I get to point so many people to this place of poverty. In this place, they run into the real God who saves in a real way. No half-hearted attempts at salvation here. Such attempts are uncovered and shown for what they really are. Trying to play God. To use Him to their advantage, like that's ever going to happen.

Some times I think most would rather skip this place of poverty and jump right to the Kingdom thing. Just like we want to by pass the cross and go right to the tomb and resurrection. We are always led to a place of spiritual darkness for it is here that God does his best work. Stripping away everything and bringing light to our lives.

I don't understand how anyone could sit under the teachings of God, claim to receive unto themselves His Holy Spirit through salvation, and then turn and go right back to the vomit we call the world. Mercy on them. Mercy on me. May we all come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

God on you...

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