Thoughts @ Christ UMC

The Danger of being Passive....

2011-11-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

As Christians we are so quick to say – I’ll pray about it and then we don’t or we are “waiting on God” to make a decision when in reality we need to act. If I’m being honest with myself, I’d rather sit down with a cup of coffee and blog about it before actually doing something about it.

I know.

It’s horrible.

It makes me sick to even think about it.

But how often do we do this?

How often would we rather spend some time in Starbucks talking about it or post a status on Facebook than actually take a stand on something? When did it become okay to tweet your frustration instead of stepping up and making a change? Are you feeling lethargic? GET OUT and do something! Matthew 28:16-20 says:

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, ‘I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.’” (Common English Bible – emphasis mine)

I’m not saying that if you can’t get out of your house that you’re a failure.

I’m just saying put your money where your mouth is.

Don’t complain if you aren’t willing to do something about it.

Christ didn’t sit around a wait for people to come to him and if anyone could have done that – it would have been Jesus. He went to where the people were. If that means that you see a homeless person and you don’t have any money to give them – pray for them. All I’m asking is that you be outward minded. As a pastor I need to be more inward focused – and guess what – I should be. That is my job to build up the Christian Community – but we need to redefine love for those around us – so that they stop thinking about themselves and get comfortable with passivity.

So get out there – redefine love – SERVE others and make disciples.

This is also posted on my website - the revolution

God's Love

2011-07-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite passages is Romans 8:38 - ...nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. These words from the Apostle Paul are significant because there is no physical location to where Christians can go that will separate us from God's love. Also, there is no spiritual location to where Christians can go that will separate us from God's love. It is obvious to most of us that Christians, including myself, sometimes wander from the path that Christ wants us to walk. Some have wondered so far from the path that they think they have strayed too far for God to still love them. I was watching a show the other day where a husband forgave his wife for being unfaithful. In other words, his love for her was so great, they were able to work it out. When we stray from God, we are being unfaithful. But God loves us so much, that he has worked it out through his Son, Jesus Christ. When we acknowledge our sin and seek forgiveness, we are forgiven because of Jesus. Remember, there is nothing we can do to make God love us less; there is nothing we can do to make God love us more. We are perfectly loved. Blessings!

Love REdefined 2

2011-06-30T07:34:00.000-07:00

Originally I wrote this as a lesson for the Youth & You Mission. These mini-devotions are based on the book 66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb. You can purchase the book here.

“[The] people in Corinth were living more like Corinthians than Christians, Paul continued to call them to a new way to live. He never gave up on them. Neither did I [God]. I [God] never give[s] up on my [his] children” (66 Love Letters #46: 1 Corinthians).

Did you notice that? The people of Corinth were living their lives like nothing had changed – Paul – was the pastor of this church for 18 months – and they never changed! He continued to encourage them and love on them and call them to a life of purpose. They were living a life without purpose – Do you ever feel that way? Have you ever wondered why God put you on Earth? Guess what? Me too. I struggled with these thoughts for YEARS! More than I care to count.

And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.[1 Corinthians 15:19-20, NLT]

Do you see how the story ends? With resurrection! God calls each of us to live a life in Christ. That is all that he calls us to do. If we don’t have the HOPE of completion where would we be? If we couldn’t know with certainty that what God begins in this life he will finish then what good is living life? It's not. Think about it. If we were not called to a better life, if we were only to be playthings for divine amusement then what good are we? If we live only for ourselves then that is really all that we are. Right? If life is made only to please ourselves and then we die - it's worthless. Put others first. Stop worrying about what you are going to get out of it. Make everyone else your focus because when you are more worried about your neighbor - everything changes.

Love REdefined 1

2011-06-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

This is the start of a series of mini-devotionals I'm calling Love REdefined. Originally I wrote this as a lesson for the Youth & You Mission. These mini-devotions are based on the book 66 Love Letters by Larry Crabb. You can purchase the book here.

“Sometimes – I hate to admit this – it seems that atheism explains what I see happening in this world better than Christianity. So many apparently pointless tragedies. So many unanswered prayers. So many people excited about experiences of You that so often to me seem contrived. (basically it means fake)
‘But becoming an atheist isn’t my real fear. I could say the same words I’ve mentioned before, words that CS Lewis wrote when his wife died: ‘I don’t think I’m in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about him. The conclusion I dread is not So there’s no God after all, but So this is what God’s really like’” (66 Love Letters #46: 1 Corinthians).

I have to confess this is me sometimes. Does that surprise anyone? I thought it might. Do you ever have to wrestle with the God that you make and the God that you see? If you don’t – why not? Do you just not think about it? Maybe it’s because of what I do – but I often struggle with this. Does anyone else find God complicated? Did you know that the God you have dreamed up is nothing like what God really is? I said the God you dreamed up – because we all have some idea of who God is – we have all concocted some idea of God based on what we already know about God and what we want God to be.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. [Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT]

I just want to throw that out there – you guys can chew on that for a little bit - feel free to come back to this if you want - it's still going to be here later.

Have you started to realize that about God? Have you begun to see a side of God that confuses you? Are you worried that God is different than the God you have made? He probably is - I don't think he is always a "happy-go-lucky" God but he isn't out to smite everyone either. Like the book of Isaiah reminds us God is not like us and our minds can't understand him. The minute you think you understand God he throws you a curve. I'm not suggesting that you should give up on trying to understand God. He wants to get to know you and he wants you to know him - just be careful about thinking you have God all figured out.

Insanity

2011-06-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

I'm a baseball fanatic. Just ask my wife. I would spend countless amounts of money just to go watch a baseball game, I would spend hours in the sun just to be on the field. The smell of the grass, the crack of the bat - I LIVE for that sound. Spring is my favorite time of the year because that means its baseball season. Do you have something you are that passionate about? You know what I mean - something you salivate over - not food. You're getting fired up just thinking about it right now aren't you?

John 3:16-17 says "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him" (NLT).

Did you read that? God loves us so much that he sent his son to die for you and me! Do what?! I don't know about you guys but this always blows my mind! Are you that passionate about something? I'll tell you, I love baseball...but not enough to die playing it. Are you willing to die for your passion? Christ was.

Do we need to get passionate, I'm talking insanity, over Christ? I think we might. If he is willing to die for you and me then we need to be willing to go outside of our comfort zones. We need to be ready to jump in with both feet - our cry should be that of Isaiah "here am I Lord, send me."