Tag: humanity

The Adventure of a Lifetime!

The Adventure of a Lifetime!

Once when i was eight years old, i went exploring a construction site. A soon to be apartment building made for a great playground in the eyes of my friends and i. Framed in staircases, partially framed walls, and planks across open spaces in the floor made for a grand adventure. Albeit, a dangerous and illegal one. Our mission, to avoid the one lone security guard patrolling the site which included several separate buildings.

Many spend most of their lives doing what my friends and i did at eight. They feel as if they are living a life of adventure because the adrenaline is pumping through their veins. What they don’t realize, often until it’s too late, is they are in constant peril. The danger of a wrong step could lead to severe injury or even death and of course, there is the constant looking over your shoulder in fear of getting caught.

The world would have you think that being a Christian is boring. That life in Christ is the opposite of adventure. However, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. There are countries where being a Christian is illegal, and you could be thrown in prison or killed. Although we live in a relatively safe environment to be a Christian, there is still some great adventure to be had! Just take a look at some of these stories…

  • Rachel from the Axiom has a great story of when she was just starting to get back into the church when she had a confrontation with a girl she had fought in the past. This girl wanted a “rematch” however, Rachel in her now living for Jesus refused to fight. Several years later the girl saw her in church and gave her a big hug, “That day changed my life!” she said.
  • Some local Missionaries the LaGatta’s, were in El Salvador when they were kidnapped at gunpoint, driven to the desert and left. They survived with not only a great story of faith but a memory of great adventure.
  • Then there is this: 9 Year Old Willie Myrick <<< Click the link it’s awesome!
These remind me of some stories found in the greatest adventure story ever written…
  • Acts 9:23-25 tells the part of the story (read below) of Saul/Paul’s escape after many were seeking to kill him.  “After this had gone on quite a long time, some Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul got wind of it. They were watching the city gates around the clock so they could kill him. Then one night the disciples engineered his escape by lowering him over the wall in a basket.”
  • Acts 16:25-26 a story about an earthquake and a none prison break that lead to the jailer coming to know Jesus with his whole family. “Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.”
  • John 11:1-44 shares the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It’s insane! Here is part of it:”Then he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.

    Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him loose.”

If you have accepted Jesus and consider yourself a follower of His, a disciple, rest assured…you are on the adventure of a lifetime!

You are LOVED,
cj

Strolling Along

Strolling Along

There was this old white-haired lady at the gym the other day. She rode a stationary bike like she was on a leisurely stroll through the park while simultaneously, talking to her friend about Jesus and reading a book. She not only read the book but she laughed out loud at several passages. Why do i tell you this particular story?

Well, two reasons. First, there are people who can multi-task and do it well. Second, a bit more intentional here, life is a mission field and regardless of what you find yourself doing there is always opportunity to tell your friends about Jesus. You must be intentional with your relationships and never be ashamed to speak truth.

Isaiah 41:10
“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

You are LOVED,
cj

I am so mad I could spit

I am so mad I could spit

i had a friend growing up named Spencer, he was both a friend and an enemy, as we fought as much as we got along. He had a funny expression when he would get upset, “I am so mad I could spit!” He never did spit, his mom was pretty strict, okay very strict. I remember one time we were swimming in the apartment pool and he yelled out, “DARN IT!” after missing a pass as we tossed a football back and forth. His momma came out of the house faster than a jackrabbit being chased by a coyote. “Spencer Allen, you get in this house right now!” Fear gripped his eyes and bewilderment my mind, “what did you do?” i asked. “I cussed,” he said, as he walked the walk of shame up to his apartment.

A few years later i got in trouble for saying, “damn it” and as i was being punished i thought about how strict my parents were; then i remembered…pour Spencer Allen. Nowadays young people are just a bunch of sailors, as the stereotype goes, cussing up a storm.  i read a Facebook post about a parent volunteering at school and witnessing this along with all the disrespect towards teachers just this morning. As a youth pastor, i interact with teens on a regular basis, and this sort of behavior is on the rise and seems to be accelerating at a high rate of speed. It reminded me of a passage in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 it says:

“Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.”

i read this in two ways, one as a warning to watch our character. To be vigilant in our pursuit of that which is holy; body, mind, and soul. The other part is to be watchful of those we would associate with on a regular basis. Your core group of friends should be like minded as you in Christ. You are going to interact with folks found in the passage above as well you should. You may even call some your friend, again this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It becomes bad when those are your core friendships. It is easier to pull down than to lift up. Here is one more passage to end for today found in Ephesians 4:

29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

30 Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.

You are LOVED,
cj

Once upon a time…

Once upon a time…

Once upon a time in a land far far away there lived a little dog named Shiloh. He was a happy dog who loved car rides and belly scratches. When left alone he suffered from anxiety and would chew things including and not limited to dumping the trash and spreading it around the house. So the master of the dog kept him close by his side. He made sure to talk to Shiloh often and reassure him that, he, the master, would never be too far away.

The master feeds the dog the same food almost every day. He doesn’t clothe the dog as the dog wears the same coat every single day. Yet the dog doesn’t care; he is happiest when the master is home and doesn’t fuss about such things as food or clothes.

“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.” Matthew 6:26-34

As in Matthew, so here too, you are to the master even more than a dog. He cares for you. “…you count far more to Him than…” dogs.

you are LOVED,
cj

Decisions….

Decisions….

i like traveling on a one-way road. One that is relatively straight, clear, smooth, wide, with plenty of comfortable stops along the way. Unfortunately, that isn’t how life works. Life is full of bumps, sharp turns, narrow paths, thorns, and intersections. i can handle bumps, sharp turns, narrow paths…after all the Word says, “narrow is the way” right? …i can even handle thorns, it is the intersections that get me. Intersections are the worst. Decisions, decisions, you know what i like, not making decisions. i always wonder, “what if”! What if this or what if that or what if what if???

i remember watching a movie once where the main character lived out all the possibilities of his life, all the what if’s were answered, good or bad. i don’t know if i would like that either. And that is the problem. We would never be satisfied and because there are so many decisions made every day the possibilities are endless. What is the answer to decisions? Simply put faith. After a decision is made you can always second guess, and Monday morning quarterback your choices that turned out…well, less than desirable. However, our goal ultimately should be learning from them and trusting or having faith that in the moment you made the best decision given the information that you had.

Reflect on this verse Proverbs 3:5-

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!”

you are LOVED,
cj

Prayer Journey

Prayer Journey

i have been on a bit of a prayer journey the past couple of weeks and i have invited you along. If you follow me on social media (see links below). i just want to take a minute and recap where i have been and where i am on this journey. First the challenge was to consider our biggest dreams for life and ministry what would you fearlessly ask for if you knew anything was possible? Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Do you believe it?

Next i looked at UNLESS; “Unless the Lord builds the house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.” (Psalm 127:1) What a powerful image. i want for us to seek the Lord in all we do and unless Jesus go with us…

Then came brokenhearted. What if we changed our perspective on how we look at those around us, even those hardest to love? What if we took the heart of the Lord and made it ours? Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the BROKENHEARTED and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” May we become a place of healing for the broken hearts, young and old.

One, Jesus said, “I have given them the glory You game Me, so they may be one as we are ONE. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as you love Me.“ By one thoughtless or careless word relationships can crumble…yet through Jesus we can all find reconciliation and be ONE as God is ONE, He in us and us in Him! When we are one in heart and spirit there is nothing we can’t do through Christ!

Now that you are on this journey with me, once we have come through these truths we see that God is at work in and through us. That His desire is for us to be about His business. He doesn’t just call us but He also equips us! “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” (Romans 12:4-6) He has GIFTED us with a GIFT to love and to serve, what is your gift?

UNLESS God goes with us, our outreach to the brokenhearted is in vain. We must be ONE with Him, using the GIFTS He has graciously given us to reach this GENERATION for the Kingdom.

you are LOVED,
cj

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You must be stupid or something!

You must be stupid or something!

“It seems as if we have come to a point of disagreement.” “It doesn’t appear as though we will ever see eye to eye on this issue.” “Can we just agree to disagree?” “It may seem arbitrary to you but to me it is a huge concern!” “Why can’t you see what I see? Why are you so ignorant!?” “You must be stupid or something!” “You have no clue how the world works do you?”

Through life, both cultural life and individual life, we have and continue to evolve, learn, grow; some would say the opposite is true, however. That we are actually unraveling socially and culturally. One thing is certain, our ability to have differing opinions and our further ability to discuss those differences considerately and compassionately have eroded to epic lows. Where at one time one might say, “It seems as if we have come to a point of disagreement.” We now say, “You must be stupid or something!”

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you thought to yourself, “Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall.” i know i have thought, maybe even said that often. Here’s the problem, by me thinking or saying that i have put the assumption on the other person that i am superior to them or more intelligent than they…i have devalued their opinion and along with it any knowledge they may have on the subject. i have now limited my ability to learn from them or even for them to learn from me.

We live in a culture gone mad with a lack of humility. Everyone has become a know-it-all in every subject. Regardless of the facts. And since everyone knows everything or we know someone who knows everything we don’t research, we don’t ask questions, we don’t seek for truth because we don’t know what we don’t know unless we first seek.

This is why i love the interaction between Yahoshua (Jesus) and the woman at the well. (READ FULL PASSAGE HERE) Here is Yahoshua, who surely did know everything, have a conversation with a woman in a manner that inspired and did not condemn. In the end the woman heads back into town to tell others about Yahoshua. We are called to be like that. To live and love as He did. To inspire others with the truth of the Gospel in hopes that they too will react as this woman did, going and telling others.

“But how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?” (Romans 10)

you are LOVED,
cj

A Lack of Faith in Faith Alone

A Lack of Faith in Faith Alone

So often we say one thing with our mouths and another with our actions. We listen to one side and not the other. We form ideas, strategy, methodology by impulse, think tanks, town halls, emotion and not by faith. It is the human condition. i am not chiding any side, any person, any idea, i am highlighting our lack of faith in faith alone.

i fully understand and want you to understand the Scriptures stance and wisdom in counsel. For example; Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 24:6; in a nutshell, its better to seek counsel than to go it alone. i in no way want to contradict that here. However, i will aim at convincing you that sometimes we put to much faith in counsel while leaving the “Wonderful Counselor” out of the conversation. Even if we are having the conversation with Him!

Here is my historical claim to present my thesis, John 11:17-44 (you can click the link to read the passage in your browser). i will point out the facts to highlight my point. First, Lazarus has died. He has been dead roughly 4 days. Second, Martha is the first to greet Jesus and basically said, if you had only been here sooner! Third, Mary greets Jesus and basically says, if you had only been here sooner! Fourth, Mary and Martha had around them many consolers and counselors. Neither understood Jesus fully and both wanted to have faith, both claimed belief in Him, both followed after Him.

Jesus, was and remains patient. He asks Martha, a question, “Do you believe?” Jesus asks concerning resurrection. Martha responds in the affirmative, “Yes, Lord; I believe…” Jesus doesn’t always explain His methods. He saw the sadness and the emotion of those mourning the loss of Lazarus and He, Himself wept. He inquires of the body. They still don’t understand. He asks for the rock to the tomb be rolled away, they protest, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

Sometimes our lack of faith is evidenced in our actions. Our lack of understanding fuels our lack of faith. So i submit for the record this, “Who can know the mind of the Lord?” We find this question sprinkled throughout the Word, Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Isaiah 40:13; Just a few examples. What is my hope in pointing this out? Simply, that we do not, nor can we fully understand the ways of God, we are simply called to believe, to have faith. Let me submit this exchange between a Centurion of a sick servant and Jesus, found in Luke 7;

“’Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.” 

This remarkable exchange occurs just before Jesus raises from the dead a son of a widow, found in the same chapter of Luke. Prior to, from what we can gather of timetables, scripturally speaking, of Lazarus’ death and subsequent resurrection. This had to have followed Him, Jesus; as many brought their sick, possessed, dying to Him. Yet, for some reason when forced to believe outside of our understanding…we faultier in our faith.

Now, all is not lost my friends. i am not in anyway writing to you to suppress any hope you have in yourself, or your cadre of counselors. In fact, the opposite is true, i am writing to affirm, that you are fully capable of the this faith the centurion displayed. That even in our doubts, like Mary and Martha, Jesus is still Lord and He is still able. That even when the counsel we have assembled disagrees as in the case of King Saul, we can be like his son Jonathan, armed only with faith, “Come on now, let’s go across to these uncircumcised pagans. Maybe God will work for us. There’s no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when he sets his mind to it.” (1 Samuel 14)

By all means have counselors, i have counselors. Please, seek advice and formulate plans, i seek advice and formulate plans. But, and i say it again, BUT, do not forget to sincerely seek the counsel of God, do not forget to seek His Wisdom, His plan, His ideal…DO NOT FORGET to consult the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, the PRINCE OF PEACE. And when in doubt, as it surly will arise remember this exchange between a father of a boy with an unclean spirit and Jesus in Mark chapter 9; “Jesus said, “If? There are no ‘ifs’ among believers. Anything can happen.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the father cried, “Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!” Seeing that the crowd was forming fast, Jesus gave the vile spirit its marching orders: “Dumb and deaf spirit, I command you—Out of him, and stay out!”

Be willing to live on the edge of belief, on the cliff of faith, in the pool of dependance, and lie in the bed of trust…against all odds, proclaim, “I believe Lord, help my unbelief, for there is no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when He sets His mind to it!”

 you are LOVED,
cj