I’m Moving!

Well not literally but, in an effort to improve the way my blog appears and get me inspired to blog consistently I am changing everything. This blog will be history by the end of the week. I think the new address will be www.resistembrace.com. Please bear with me as I will be under construction for the next week.

God’s Will

 

“What is God’s will for my life”?

I hear this question being asked a lot by those who have committed their hearts to Christ and I have found myself asking it as well. This year has been important for me in learning lifelong truth.

Recently another question has risen to the surface and that is “Do I want God’s will”?

There are plenty of passages in the Bible telling us what the Lord’s will is. (1 Thess. 4:3, 1 Thess. 5:18, 1 Peter 2:15) The biggest question that I have been asking myself is… do I really want His will? Most people think that if they say yes they will have to give something up or possibly go to Africa or some far off land and they very well could. I think that I have lived far too long with God as a sidekick, thinking up clever plans and then asking God to bless them. Some of these plans were never His idea though so what business do I have asking Him to bless them?

The problem I think is that my view of God, His word, the Church, and my role in it all has been far too small. As Christians we have been invited by God through Jesus to take on the strongholds in our lives, in other’s lives, in the world, and to make Disciples, and to be a part of His redemption process. This is an incredible privilege and honor.

The enemy would love to keep us consumed with distractions and in the 21^st century there are tons.

We have to be willing to count the cost. When I said yes to Jesus I said yes to being in heaven one day and no to being in hell. I said yes to making moral choices and no to making immoral ones. I said yes to setting myself apart for Him and no to the way of the world. But my commitment goes beyond that.

Before He left, Jesus said “Go and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

He didn’t suggest this to me, He told me to do it. Jesus was about His Father’s work, am I?

It won’t be easy, but He has promised to be there the whole way through. There are changes that must be made constantly so that my life is in step with this “great commission”.

Whenever we get confused about what God is taking us through or what His will is we should remember this: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33)

Jesus redeemed me so that He could use me in this world and as long as I have my own agenda, He can’t use me. I really believe this. So let’s stop buying the lies of the enemy and submit ourselves to God and tell Him “I really don’t know what’s best for me”. Be ready to listen and be changed, your life will never be the same. You will truly come alive for “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”. (Matt. 10:39)

Robert Goulet: A Tribute

It’s a sad day in the world folks, in memory of the late Robert Goulet, here are some highlights. (no i’m not expecting you to watch the whole video)

SNL helps people get out of debt.

Team Leadership

I am working on a Master of Arts in Worship Studies at Liberty Theological Seminary, currently I am taking a class called Principles of Leadership. Here’s some notes that I took today. These are some great concepts:

 

10 reasons why churches don’t use team leadership:

1. The desire for simplicity (it takes a lot of energy and work to get people together)

2. The need for control. (this tends to be a person who lacks self confidence and experience)

3. The need for personal significance.

4. The quest for efficiency.

5. Adherence to tradition.

6. Don’t know how. (teachability is crucial)

7. Nobody models it. (churches should strive to be authentic)

8. Absence of vision.

9. The pastor’s traditional, central role.

10. The church culture. (“You create the culture that you lead”)

10 reasons why churches should use team leadership:

1. It’s Biblical. (Paul, Disciples and Jesus)

2. No more superheroes.

3. Hallmark of true community. (Unity)

4. Less stress.

5. Greater Synergy. (multiply leaders)

6. More Innovation. (“Great leaders solve problems creatively”)

7. Greater joy. (People are changed)

8. Priesthood of believers. (Eph. 4, “deploying all the gifts that people possess for maximum ministry potential”)

9. Numerical Growth. (Multiplication)

10. Relieves the Head Pastor to do what he has been called to do and what he is best at.

Eternal Darnation

The Rev. D. Ray Montgomery tells us what hell is like. He’s got some good points.

Everything I Never Wanted

If you have spoken with me in the past few months you will know that this year has been the best year of my life, can’t really explain it, but it has been.
I believe its because God finally shattered the vision of my plans and dreams and allowed me to see my place in His story and His plan for this world.

I recently read something in Dallas Willard’s “Spirit of the Disciplines” book and i don’t have the exact quote but he said something about how when Jesus spoke he simply stated the way things were not necessarily how they need to become. The example used was Mark 8:35 “whoever wants to save his life will lose it”.
So i started thinking about Psalm 37:4 “delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”. I believe this to be true but the problem is that our hearts desire so little.
Many have already heard this quote but it is an important one:
“it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased”- C.S. Lewis

So…God changes our hearts to be like His and His desires become our desires and we are filled with joy because we were always meant to share in this with Him. A year ago I did not desire the things I do now and i also was not delighted in the Lord. I had no clue that I wanted (and needed) All the things I know now and have now.

My best idea,dream or plan is worthless compared to what God has dreamed for me. I know I’m probably repeating every Christian cliche that you have ever heard but I am just stating what has been true in my life.
In the words of one of my favorite bands “man the trouble is, we don’t know who we are instead”- Jars of Clay

Identity

I wrote this in a journal the other day and I really didn’t think much of it then but I’m considering reading this back to myself throughout the week because I forget so easily.

my worth is not in how i look.

my worth is not in who my friends are.

my worth is not in what i do.

my worth is not in how i feel.

my worth is not in the books i read, the movies i watch, or the fun times i experience.

my worth is not in a successful career or the money i make.

my worth is not in what people think of me or how i make them feel.

my worth is not in church attendance, bible reading or ministry involvement.

my worth is not in how spiritual people perceive me.

my worth is not in a degree or the knowledge that i attain.

my worth is in Jesus Christ. i am created in God’s image. i have the Son and i have life.

chosen and loved by God. valued and owned by Him.

designed for a reason and a purpose. my life has meaning and direction.

I also found this awesome Psalm yesterday:

“The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not abandon the works of your hands.”- Psalm 138:8

Just like a Mini-mall!

This is amazing! What exactly is a mini-mall?

Rain

I had a conversation today with a friend about rainfall.

He said that when rain falls study for hours or days it is good for the plant life and soil but when it falls really hard all at once it can actually be bad for the plant life and soil.

I wanted to know if this was true so I looked it up on Wikipedia (not always a good source of truth).:

“Precipitation, especially rain, has a dramatic effect on all agriculture. All plants need at least some water to survive, therefore rain (being the most effective means of watering) is important to agriculture. While a regular rain pattern is usually vital to healthy plants, too much or too little rainfall can be harmful, even devastating to crops. Drought can kill crops in massive numbers, while overly wet weather can cause disease and harmful fungus. Plants need varying amounts of rainfall to survive.”

Because I am weird and try to find a spiritual connection with everything I started to think about my life and the way God has been working in my life lately. I am often impatient and mostly compulsive in life. I want something to happen and I want it yesterday.

This year God has been growing (and I have been doing my best to cooperate) me in a different way. You see for years I was all about the hype, the spiritual experience, on the go, “busy for Jesus”. Things have slowed down quite a bit and there are specific disciplines that God is allowing me to see and He is really doing it slow and steady. It has been a tough adjustment but everything means more now and I have never felt closer to God or His purpose for me than I do right now.

I look back at the past 10 years and realize it all made sense, it all had to happen and God has so much left to do. I’m not afraid of slowing down or listening to God or looking for that person He wants me to reach out to or learning from my mistakes.

So what does this have to do with living in America in 2007? Well in case you haven’t noticed we are surrounded by fast paced life and quick decisions. There is constant pressure to be on the go 24/7. Its hard to hear God in the midst of that. So how is the soil of your soul growing? Are you overwhelmed? steady? in a drought?