Category: Commentary

Peeing in the Easter Basket
Bible Interpretation · Commentary · Confessions

Peeing in the Easter Basket

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After listening to a sermon the other day I posted on Facebook a very strong opinion about how preachers should do their basket-making-easter-craft-photo-420-FF0302ALM5A01preaching. The specific preacher I was listening to at the time was circling round and round a point for what seemed way too long, never really saying much. Being entertaining, but not communicating the point he had set out to make. I was fed up, as I am with most preaching, and spoke my mind in public.

Most people loved what I had to say. Many people have never been on the underside of ministry like I have, nor have the perspective of church things like I do. And they seem to act giddy when someone is willing to speak the truth, even about the church.

The truth that I’ve found and that is central to my message to the Church is that Christ is the One who has earned ultimate authority over man kind and it is our job as the Church to point others unto the glory that is completely His. So that they may begin to walk uprightly with God through the life and presence of Jesus Christ… and in and amongst those who call themselves church.

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Relational vs. Robitic
Christian · Commentary · Meditation

Relational vs. Robitic

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Faith when rightly approached develops into the most stable relationship man can ever know. And relationships are based on interactions. Conversations with warm fuzzies, tough talks with ultimatums, fights, silent treatments, romance, cudd…les, emotions, commitments, promises, love sickness, etc. etc.
Soooo, it might be best if we quit faking the funk. Some days are hard. Even for the best of us on the best of days.
Maybe if we quit pretending to portray things that we’re not we might be able to be honest enough to live rightly as the love struck Bride of Christ, revealing the goodness and active engagement of God. Revealing the eternal dance that we’re involved in. And hang up the robot act; religious, stoic, unmoved, “happy”, and seemingly disinterested in reality.

Eset-Robot

Right Aim
Christian · Commentary · Confessions

Right Aim

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People who live in an active pursuit of relationship with God may find themselves directly or indirectly associated with a set of doctrines, a denomination, or a sect. By proximity.
Yet the embrace of a religion, a set of beliefs, a sect …or a denomination does not necessarily put us in proximity of relationship with God.

Sometimes it does exactly the opposite.

Relationship with God must be the most central target of our spiritual unction. When that is primary God can and will take care of all the other minor details. As well as put us in harmony with the people He is calling us to love.
Target_Shooting

 

Not So Among You
Christian · Commentary · Confessions · Meditation · Uncategorized

Not So Among You

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My friend Kelsey once introduced me to her dad as her pastor, a title I both love and hate. It’s a biblical term and one that I am called to. I love pastoring and shepherding  people, helping them to get disentangled from the evil that seeks to entrap them. Much to my surprise, Kelsey told me after the fact that I had a funny facial expression when she introduced me. I had no idea at the time but I do know that I have a hard time hiding the way I’m feeling so it made sense. christ-carrying-the-cross-to-his-crucifixion-by-battista

My knee jerk reaction when that title was publicly awarded me has some association with what our culture interprets when they hear the word “pastor”. Nine times out of ten it isn’t good. The other ten percent seems to be a title that people give one another when they have ducked out of their responsibility to walk with God as individuals and rely upon others to represent God for them.

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Divine Debate
Christian · Commentary

Divine Debate

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Who do you say that I am?

Which one of you if your sheep fall in a ditch on a Sabbath would pull it out?

Why are you persecuting me?

Can these bones live?

Who will go for us?

(Luke 9:20; Matt 12:11; Acts 9:4; Ezek 37:3; Isa 6:8)

Here are a few questions that God asks various people as documented in scripture. There are many other places in scripture where this occurs, these are just the few that came to mind when considering this topic.

God wants us to engage Him in conversation; He’s not looking for answers.

Nor does He let Himself become simply answers to questions. That would be too easy. In fact He resists being put in any box and held captive by anyone.

As much as God does speak to us to guide us away from harm, a good portion of the scriptures are very instructional. He most often asks questions that will prompt thought and further conversation with Him.
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Relationship.

Do you know how a good question can grab your attention and draw you into further conversations, sharing hidden parts of your life, deepening friendship? This is what God desires with us. The questions and answers are means to an end, not an end result.

In Jewish culture, historically and unto today, men debate and converse about their interpretation of scripture and their interpretation of God. Rabbis ask questions to their disciples and the disciples in turn ask the Rabbi questions. Each question building upon the previous revealing the knowledge gained about the topic and delving more deeply into the topic. For example, “Were the 10 commandments originally written by God or by Moses?” With a response of “According to scripture, the Word has always been. Who wrote those words if they have always been?” Questions are answered with other questions that probe the abyss of truth and of God.

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Christian · Commentary · Poetry

Masterpiece

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It is purely through grace that God reveals Himself to us

But on occasion we forget that

And we begin to think of ourselves higher than we ought

while making Him lower

We judge and assess God based on how He responds to our demands and prayers

This is not right

God does not owe us anything

He acts and reacts based upon a wisdom that we can not even begin to grasp

For He is Holy, Perfect

We must understand that He is good, and we must trust that He is orchestrating a masterpiece with all of what we know, dream, and imagine

He invites us to be friends… but we must never underestimate the expense that He has paid for us to take a seat with Him

It is our place to be humble and receptive of all that He is

This is the highest place in this life.

 

Christian · Commentary

Interviewing an Alien

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imagesHere is an interview with Francis Chan, a recovering Mega-church pastor who began to reject his own fame to follow the Spirit of God. The interviewers seem to be simply confused by him and attempt to pick his brain… attempt to poke fun at him.

It’s clear that he has no idea what he’s getting himself into.  Love this. It’s the tension that comes with following Jesus. We. are. aliens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p-SYMis0-w