James Martin III

Soccer: Are you educated or naive in your comments?

noreply@blogger.com (James Martin III) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Those who mock the sport of soccer don't understand it and therefore cannot appreciate the beauty of the game. . .

I grew up playing this incredible sport (futbol) from the age of 4. Over the years I’ve had to listen to snide remarks about soccer being a girly man’s sport, boring, and a sport that people play who don’t have any hand eye coordination. To put some context to this, it was usually from an overweight, football player who had a hard time putting on his pads without breathing hard. My teammates in high school put this argument to bed (at least at our high school) as we scored more goals than the football team scored points in one year. I’ve heard these similar comments as the World Cup of 2010 has begun. This is mostly because of social networking that comes through Twitter and Facebook, and the uninformed comments that have been plastered all over the place.

Over the years of playing soccer through high school and college, and eventually becoming a high school coach later on in life, I have learned more and more about the beautiful game of soccer. This posting is to help educate or at least spark an interest in those of you who know little about the game and decide to mock it out of your inexperienced and maybe naive perspective.

Those of you who say soccer is boring and there is not enough scoring, are missing 95% of the game. Soccer is not for the individual driven by instant gratification . . . America. . . but rather for the individual who appreciates the detail of a beautifully executed step over or cruyff (if you don’t know what that is look it up) on the ball to blow by a defender, a perfectly precision timed run to get an opportunity on goal, or an excellently struck shot that hits the post from an impossible angle. Did I mention the horizontal dive of a goalie tipping the ball over the crossbar as 6 BILLION people in the world watch? Yes, billion, not million. Catch up with the rest of the world. According to Wikipedia, SOCCER is the most popular sport in the world. Not baseball, not basketball, and certainly not American football. Soccer is an industry worth over US $400 billion world wide. If you're bored, educate yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised. Learn the game and be patient for the upper ninety corner shot from 30 yards out, which will get your blood flowing like no other score in any other sport. Soccer is not only for the hooligans of the world, but the gentlemen of this world as well.

Watch for the magic of the footwork that is being executed as players dribble by their defenders. Watch as they make a 180 degree cut, stop on a dime, and turn to explode in another direction…all while keeping the ball within 12 inches of their next step. Watch as an outside midfielder streaks down the sideline, faking inside breaking the defender’s ankles, then going outside with the ball and delivering an unbelievable accurate cross across the goal box. Just in front of the goalie, but behind the defense to the streaking striker who drills a shot towards the side netting, just to have the goalie dive and poke it past the goal post for a corner. Tell me that was not exciting. Then on the corner kick as the ball comes across the goal box once again, two opposing players go up for the challenge, the striker wins the battle placing the header just next to the post where the outside back protecting the post has to make his own spectacular play on the ball by rising up and heading it out before the score is 1-0. Yes, the score is nil, nil, but the crowds are jumping up and down across the world at the action that just took place.

Soccer is a way of life around the world. As I mentioned earlier soccer is not only for hooligans, but the gentlemen of this world. Soccer "purists" don't flop and try to gain advantage from a fall worthy of an Oscar. They play through hard fouls and have respect for the game and its history. They study the game and the different styles that come along with it. There is the “direct play” that the Brazilians bring to the pitch with its excitement of many opportunities on goal, or the style that Spain plays by lulling its opponents to sleep with their possession game and then striking strategically on goal, which is just as much intriguing and breathtaking to watch. What about Italy and their organized defense along with the quick, effective counter attacks? My personal favorites are watching the Germans or the Netherlands and the creative pass progressions, runs off the ball, and patterns of play they put together to build the ball up the filed into a dangerous scoring opportunity.

Purists appreciate the stamina, the skill, finesse, speed, strategy and intelligence it takes to play this game. If you don’t understand any of this, then I encourage you to go out and try to play the game for 30 minutes. You’ll have a new appreciation for what is taking place on the screen in front of you, out of your own inabilities.

As purists are the gentlemen, don’t forget the global perspective and that “hooligans” play this game as well. Hooligans are the floppers, the violent players, maybe even cheap or hacks. They are disrespectful to the purity of the game and have their own version. They may look at dribbling or a kick and run style as more effective than a well planned out and dynamic passing game. The beauty of the global perspective is that soccer is an international language in which we may all have different dialects, but in which we can all communicate out of the commonality.

With that being said, America, let’s not take ourselves out of the global perspective and unity that comes with the sport of soccer. I'm fine if people don't like soccer in America, just don't mock it. Mocking is a sheltered, arrogant, and naive perspective. If you are looking to satisfy your urge for gratification, be patient and the golden goal scenario will play out, the most exciting score in all of sports. If no golden goal, then the tension filled shootout will occur. If willing to wait, you’re in for an indulgence and satisfaction like no other!

Conversations with Allen

noreply@blogger.com (James Martin III) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:40:00 +0000

When I was asked to speak about Allen’s life I have to say I was honored and thrilled. However, I have to admit this is not an easy task. How do you summarize the life of a man you love and respect so much, a man with so much depth, a man with an endless reservoir of unconditional love, and a man with a wealth of wisdom into a few short minutes?

I sat down and asked the Lord. Where do I start? . . . As I listened to the Holy Spirit I heard that it would only be appropriate to speak about conversations. . . I’ve titled my tribute to Allen. . . Conversations with Allen. As you listen to these conversations, you’ll hear familiar things. His depth, his love, his wisdom was not only shared with me, but with all of us. That’s the beautiful thing. We have all been blessed to have crossed paths with this man here on Earth. To me that is something very special as I know the unique place he has in my life and my heart. I am a better man, a fuller man because of our conversations.

Allen loved to have conversation. He had so much to say and he knew how to listen. The conversations I had with Allen began 5 years ago and began in this very building. Who would of guessed ☺ . . . Talk about a divine appointment. I was in a deep valley of my life and the first thing Allen said to me was, “How you doing dude?” What’s on your heart? I had never met him before, but his presence was safe, and the tone in his voice was genuine. We talked for three hours. He mostly listened, he asked questions, and assured me that God was in this, that God was doing something amazing in my life. He continued on and said James, God is asking you, “Do you trust me, and are you willing?” Do you trust me and are you willing? That became a recurring theme in our conversations over time. Both the hard times, and the very good times. Allen always reminded me that the Lord is whispering, James, do you trust me, and are you willing?

We spent the next year meeting here at the prayer center and developed a deepened friendship. Random times. Sometimes mid morning, sometimes over lunch, and sometimes around 10pm where we would talk until the wee hours of the morning. We would pray, we would walk around the building, and end up at the tables or couches out in the lobby and simply have conversation. We got to know each other through our conversation about God, our view of God, our view of life, our history, where we came from, and most often what was on our hearts. He always initiated the conversation with, “what’s on your heart dude?”

In November 2005 our conversations went to Israel and Gaza. Allen had been to Israel over a dozen times already and I was excited to see it for the very first time. This was the first time in our conversation that I heard about the “World being his Playground” and his passion for going to the Middle East and spreading the gospel. Praying for people in the spirit and seeing physical and spiritual bondage broken in the name of Jesus. Allen prepared me for our journey by telling me the different places we would see and go to. . . Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and eventually our group of 30 would decrease to 6 and we would cross a dangerous lonely border tunnel into the Gaza Strip.

It was in these conversations and in Israel where I learned from Allen three very important life lessons. The first Allen described the Dead Sea, also called the Salt Sea, as one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. This salinity makes for a harsh environment where animals and life cannot flourish, hence its name. The Jordan River is the only major water source flowing into the Dead Sea and there are no outlet streams. Allen likened the Dead Sea to a human soul where if we don’t have outlet streams, if we are not giving away what has been given to us, then our souls becomes a harsh environment where death begins to set in. We have to be poured into by the Holy Spirit and willing to give it away. Allen said to me, “James, you come alive when you give it away!” Don’t ever stop giving it away.

The second lesson Allen taught me about was the idea of being faceless. Being faceless he told me allowed him to go to some of the most dangerous lands and cross borders that others were not able to cross. Being faceless was far away from titles and positions and allowed for free flowing movement to do the ministry that God called Him to do. It allowed him to “Show Up” at places like the prayer center, Tag, theMILL and to be available for God to move and to create a meeting between two strangers that turned into a Holy moment and memorable conversations.

The third very important lesson I learned from Allen was about Forgiveness. In our hotel room one night we began to have conversation about some past hurts in my life. As I explained the pain I had endured, Allen said, it’s time to experience God’s forgiveness, but you must first forgive those who have hurt you. He then led me into prayers of forgiveness where I continued on and he strategically encouraged me by saying keep going James, your getting it, keep going, deeper, that’s it, that’s the root. That night I experienced a break through of great magnitude, and felt firsthand God’s forgiveness and grace in my own life.

We continued the trip the next day into Gaza, meeting with church leaders, dodging bullets, and handing out food and praying for refugees that were amongst terrorist extremists. One case in which we prayed for the wife of a fallen Hamas terrorist leader, who broke down in tears and hugged us not wanting to let go. I saw first hand because of Allen’s invitation, the Spirit moving in a mighty way in a dry and weary land surrounded by violence and hate. I saw a spirit filled church growing and thriving in the midst of terror, and young leaders who loved the Lord and couldn’t get enough of Allen’s encouragement, his unconditional love, and his unprecedented leading in the Spirit.

The following year I became engaged to my beautiful and amazing wife Sara. Before that could happen though I had to go through a very uncertain 6 weeks while Sara and I took a break from each other to decide if this was the direction God had for both of our lives. As these 6 weeks progressed, Allen and I got together frequently here at the prayer center. He connected my situation during that time of confusion and brokenness and not knowing what was going to happen in those 6 weeks, to Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. As Nehemiah went out in the dark without his horse to examine and survey the broken down walls and burned down gates of Jerusalem, so was the Holy Spirit going out into my darkness and surveying my situation. Putting in place the plan to bring the correct people and needed interactions to bring fullness, and restoration to my life and relationship. Allen always told me that God was in the good year blimp looking down at the game of life, and we were sitting in the stands. We can only see a small perspective of the bigger picture, while God could see all. It was time to trust again.

Over the next three years our conversations moved to Outback Steakhouse where just about every other Monday night in strict order we would order our blooming onion, extra croutons, salmon filets, and raspberry cheese cake. The waiters and waitresses knew to leave us alone and by the time we were done talking the lights were being turned up and the heat had already been turned off. They wanted us out. We talked for hours about the Love of the Father, the outer court relationship between a master and slave, the inner court relationship of a Father and Son, and the inner most sanctuary where Allen would always tear up and describe the most intimate relationship where the groom locks eyes with his Bride and the family is then completed. We talked about being Fathers to the fatherless, washing the feet of those who have given us a Judas moment, Seeing ourselves as God does through Jesus as strong sons in clean white linens, airs to the throne. Showing others the Father, not just telling them about it. We talked about things inside of us having to die a violent death just like the cross in order for the resurrection to come in certain parts of our heat. He talked about our journey being like onions, layers continually being pealed back to reveal a deeper and more intimate layer. Allen talked about the battle between the sumo wrestler flesh man and the Holy Spirit stick man. He talked about wanting to be a basket filler for people, chopping and gathering wood for people to start the fires in them. He was a watchman and a gatekeeper for so many people. Allen never told you what to do, he processed with you and pushed you to a place where you could come to your own revelation between you and God. He would say, My revelation is my revelation, and smile when you got yours.

My wife and I became close with Allen and Jane and were blessed when they invited us into their home for three months while we were between houses. We started having dinner and hangout time conversations with them. They poured out unbelievable hospitality and warmth, which provided us with a family away from family. Allen said the only condition was that we make ourselves at home. Jane provided amazing meals and insight that only a mother can bring into our lives. We were shown a picture of a healthy family dynamic, which produced two loving and stellar sons. This picture will forever be etched in our minds.

As I talk about my experience and interactions with Allen’s amazing life and his family, I hold him in the stature of a hero of the faith, a man who poured himself into countless individuals with a tone of acceptance, understanding, encouragement and unconditional love. I’ve heard over and over this week from our friends. . . Allen believed in me, Allen loved me, Allen valued me, Allen was like a father to me, Allen took time to pour into me, Allen took time to listen to me. I echo each of these. As I remember Allen’s unbelievable giftings I want to take a moment to reflect on his humanity. I’ve come to learn we all live with our humanity and as Allen so often and eloquently expressed, none of us are perfect and we all have our stuff. Even the great men of the Bible . . Noah, David, Paul, Peter are shown as Godly men living out their faith in the midst of their humanity. As I say goodbye to my dear friend, my mentor, my father…. Allen Reedall today I will answer your question one last time.

What’s on your heart dude? . . . . . . . . . So that I’m real and don’t say, everything is great and fine. I will be honest with you . . . Allen, my heart is heavy, my heart is sad. . . I don’t like this, I hate that you are gone! I’ve lost a dear friend as we all have. I’ve lost a mentor, a father figure. Sara and I have lost a granddaddy for our baby. I don’t want anything more at this time then to have an appointment on my calendar with you on Monday night to process this past week. I long to have a conversation about your death.

As Rob Bell writes in his book Drops Like Stars, “The Franciscan priest Richard Rohr points out that Native Americans have a tradition of leaving a blemish in one corner of the rug they are weaving. Because that’s where they believe the spirit enters. . . .

I can relate to the rugs. I want desperately for things to go “how they’re supposed to go” Which is another way of saying how I want them to go, which is another way of saying according to my plan. And that as we all know isn’t how it works.

“It’s in that disappointment, in that confusion, in that pain – the pain that comes from things not going how I wanted them to – that I find the same thing happening, again and again. I come to the end of myself, to the end of my power, the end of my strength, the end of my understanding, only to find in that place of powerlessness a strength and peace that weren’t there before. I keep discovering that it’s in the blemish that the Spirit enters. The cross, it turns out is about the mysterious work of God. Which begins not with the big plans and carefully laid out timetables, but in pain and anguish and death.

It’s there, in the agony of those moments, that we get the first glimpses of just what it looks like for God to take all of our trauma and hurt and disappointment, all those fragments lying there on the ground, and turn them into something else, something new, something we never would have been able to create on our own.

It’s in that place where we’re reminded that true life comes when we’re willing to admit that we’ve reached the end of ourselves, we’ve given up, we’ve let go, we’re willing to die to all of our desires to figure it out and be in control. We lose our life, only to find it. It turns out that a Navajo rug and a Roman cross have a lot in common!

As I’ve answered your last question Allen, I hear you loud and clear . . .the Lord is whispering Do you trust me and are you willing? Absolutely. As I work through the grief that is present in me now because of my love for you, I know I’m headed towards a path and destination of gratitude for having crossed paths with you here on this earth and for having the priceless hours of conversation with you. I will one day when the time is right tell my children about the Godly revelations you and I talked about. In the near future I will celebrate and honor you by maybe going out and buying a pair of cowboy boots, I may grow my beard out and dye it grey, or maybe I’ll go to a hookah bar and smoke a cinnamon flavored hookah. . .but most assured I will carry on your legacy by taking time in my life to hear God’s voice, to show up, and to ask people, Dude, what’s on your heart? Thank you for all the great conversations! Thank you for taking me to a deeper place with our heavenly father, our Lord and Savior. Allen Reedall, you are one of a kind and will be extremely missed. I look forward to seeing you in heaven, and in the meantime I will always . . . always carry a piece of you in my heart. Goodbye friend. I love you!

Friendships

noreply@blogger.com (James Martin III) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:30:00 +0000

I have had a great few weeks filled with reminders of the life I live and the friends I have been blessed with. The support group that has been formed around my wife and I is truly appreciated. The different avenues in which those relationships play out are unique and special in their own way.

A couple of Thursday's ago my wife and I shared an amazing night of Bible Study with two other couples. Looking at Philippians and using the Observation, Interpretation, and Application model of studying the Bible has been awesome. We get 6 different and valuable views of the scripture in those three different areas.

The day before that we were at the new hospital visiting good friends who's little boy was there being treated for phenomena. Knowing that they will be moving soon, it was good to spend some quality time with them and cherish those moments of living life with them as they won't always be located close.

These past few weeks I have had priceless dialogues with three young men I have had the privilege to mentor. Talking about real issues, dreams, and goals and how faith plays an essential role in each. I've been blessed from mentors as well these past few weeks sharing their wisdom, lives and insight with me. Whether an Outback dinner, Ted's Montana Grill lunch or Summit House coffee.

A week ago Saturday, my wife and I went out with a couple we have greatly enjoyed hanging out with. They shared their knowledge about photography encouraging Sara in her pursuits and gifts in the vocation. They also shared their hearts about the ministry they are pursing and what that looks like to them including the excitement and fears that go along with it. They too will be leaving in the near future for Cambodia and will be greatly missed.

I ran 8 miles with the best man in my wedding last Wednesday. We are training for a marathon together. We talked about politics, theology, parenting, jobs, changing the lives of others through fundamental Godly principles and renewing of the mind. We prayed for each other and talked about the book of Samuel and how important and influential we are in the first 10 years of our children's lives.

Last Thursday another special friend and pastor helped and supported my wife and I in trying to find and reestablish an old cherished friendship that has been lost due to life's paths and lives going in different directions. The key to it all being good memories, intentionality, and the value of that relationship!

My wife (who is my best friend without a doubt) and I went to Denver on Saturday to finalize the decisions on our new house. Driving up we had great conversation about the season of life we have just come out of and the one we are about to enter. My heart was filled with gratefulness both for her and for what the Lord has done and is doing in both of us. That night I spent with my oldest sister talking about our lives and family and where we have been and where we are going. She has become a special friend in the past few years as well.

Tonight I went to a movie with another great friend. While not connecting much more than a couple of laughs at the few funny lines in the midst of a high action packed movie, we shared meaningful conversation on the way home about simply being there for each other.

With all this said, I feel completely blessed. I encourage whoever reads this to take a close look at your friendships and be reminded that those relationships are truly a gift from God. If there is a lack of friendships, ask God to show you and open doors to new relationships. Be open to getting out of your comfort zone and ask that person who sparks your interest to go to lunch or coffee. Be alert and be ready, as you may encounter what I call a "divine appointment" at any moment. I truly believe God puts people in our lives in a timely fashion for specific purposes. Don't be afraid to dig in, be honest, and share your life with those who God has put in your life!

I am grateful!

What is Church?

noreply@blogger.com (James Martin III) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:00:00 +0000

To me Church should be a special divine place where people can be themselves, lose themselves, find themselves, free themselves, and most importantly, it should be a special means to a personal relationship with God and life in eternity. Church goes way beyond a building, a location, a program, and a fast, medium and slow song. It should be a community that is dedicated to Jesus’ great commission, a two part command that may very well be the vision and mission statement of how the church should be guided. It is a model statement for the Church to engage in authentic mentioning and discipleship. It may be the very measuring stick to how we determine the success of our ability to hear God’s voice and be obedient to His life changing love and truths for us and others.

Today in our nation and across the world there are millions of believers gathering together everyday engaging the God of the Bible and pursuing a magnificent personal relationship with Him. The expression of each of their walks and the so called church they attend is different and unique in structure and form. Each cultural custom and denominational tradition plays into a detailed definition of Church. Every Church leader has a personality, giftedness, personal experience, and understanding of the scriptures that play an important role on how their church is defined and how it operates. Each follower of Christ perceives and responds to these Churches in their own unique way. This is also determined by their personality, past experiences and their right or wrong view of God. Without negating the truths of the scripture, we must remember and cherish the beauty of individuality each person holds as they make up the church and perfectly represent the Body of Christ expressed in Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12. All this to say that the detailed inner workings of a church that are successful for one church in one city will not be successful for a different church in another city, and that goes for churches from one nation to another nation. However, at the core of their formation they have one thing in common. Spirit, truth, and authenticity direct what path they go down.

As I write this blog, the words on this page will reflect my experiences, my opinions, and my passion for seeing the Church grow towards the Holy Spirit, the truth of the Bible, and an authentic relationship with each other and the God of the universe. I hope that its message will further the discussion on what the Church is supposed to be, and how believers can be used by the Lord to make it more like His heart, then the world’s. I would like to bring to the discussion an absolute need for deep authenticity to swell over the temptation of shallow relationships and surfacey failures in the midst of a destructive celebrity whim rising within mega churches, and all other churches striving to find the balance of relevancy and the need to compete with the secular world’s offerings for people’s time, commitment, and souls.

Every church has the important responsibility of defining their statements of faith, identifying with seekers or believers, maintaining an effective worship team and communicating successfully to their followers who they are and what they stand for. Each leadership team needs to spend significant time and energy thoroughly answering necessary questions of what their church is all about.

I believe that as the leadership establishes, maintain, and grow within their church’s culture and philosophies they should continually ask important questions like, “Is our doctrine and teaching scriptural?” “Does our church hold our people in bondage or do we advocate a place for God’s Spirit so that they can become free?” “Does this church produce a false image and idol of God, or a true representation of the God of the Bible?” “Is our church more interested in programs, systems, numbers and production, or are we truly invested and concerned about the hearts of the people that attend our church?” These are just a few of many significant questions that need to be asked in the creation, continuation, and protection of a truly efficient and effective church. There is a very fine line and balancing act between producing programs and systems that bring the numbers in the door and keeping up more important systems behind the scenes filled with intimacy, authenticity, and true desire for the growth and discipleship of each of those people. This line will determine whether each church begins or continues on in a devastating pattern of developing a slow evolving false identity amongst its members, versus the path for a person to be cultivated and to find their true self in Christ.

Have you ever heard the term that soul business is dirty business? To genuinely attack and go after the soul is not easy and requires work that many people don’t want to do themselves, let alone go after someone else’s. The Lord gave His people a doorway into eternity. It is the gift of His son’s life for their sins so that they can enter into an everlasting life pure and holy. This gift though is not wrapped in boxes and pretty bows, but rather is the reality of the cross on which Jesus died, and is a violent scene of death and the only way to the Father. This scene should not be taken lightly and our leaders and teachers of the church should not take this business (for lack of a better word) lightly.

James 3:1 tells of the high responsibility of a teacher as they will be judged more strictly and is surrounded in the text around it with context of humility, wisdom, being quick to listen and slow to speak, and faith without deeds is dead. As the celebrity factor has entered into the mega church realm, you be the judge. Do numbers of a church reflect success, or does the authenticity of the leadership and its members reflect that measurement? Does the Church hide behind an ideology of cool fads, relevant music and cliché sayings, or do they roll up their sleeves and do the hard work in the actuality of going after the hearts of its people? Is the church’s main goal to fill its seats and offering buckets and say let’s replicate and multiply so we can speak to the masses (all in Jesus’ name), or is its goal to authentically and genuinely change one person’s heart and life at a time? Has church become a distraction to God rather than an invitation to His House and to sit at His table? Two very wise men of God have put it this way. One says, “Let the title go, more ministry is capable outside of the church.” The other says, “Another way of ministry is to be faceless and you will have more influence then you can imagine.”

In the quest and pursuit of making the Church relevant and able to compete for its members, has the Church lost its reality and authentic chase to know God and to make Him known? I believe that as youth leaders have learned how to compete with MTV and church leaders compete with real desires of significance and security, ambition, money, and power, the church has fashioned a devastating feel good place with very little soul work being accomplished. I believe whether mega church or struggling to stay-alive church, it has become a place where people come but are terrified of truly being known. It has built unspoken walls which keep it hidden both as a corporate body and tragically shelter the true self of the individuals that make it up.

The world looks at the church with judgment and as a body made up of hypocrites. There are many examples of people leaving the church for these reasons, people not coming at all, and worse defiling the reputation of the Church with their opinions and experiences with what we call the Church. It is straight fact that the church has the same exact sin inside its walls as what lies outside of it. The non believer looks at our 10 commandments and points the finger and says look at the hypocrites. The Church defends their accusation with more sin, more walls that hide it, and a lack of authenticity needed to get to the roots of their behavior. The roots cannot be pruned without taking the walls down and letting someone in to prune. I believe the Lord is calling His people to repent, to practice humility, and to roll up its sleeves and do the dirty work. To be honest and say, “We can’t live up to the law, but He can, through Christ Jesus we are set free from the law of sin and death!” “We are powerless in the struggle against Sin, but He is not!” These are some very loaded phrases. The deep inner realization of these phrases does not happen overnight, and they do not happen alone. They happen within the walls of what God meant church to be. When was the last time you remembered the three points of your favorite pastor’s sermon? I’m not talking about last Sunday’s but the sermon you heard two years ago on a warm July Sunday, or a cold February Sunday night. In opposition, do you remember the last time you spent some serious quality time into the late hours of the night refining your soul with an intentional faceless mentor who decided that you were worth it? That is everlasting! Yes, that thought is powerful whether you have experienced it or not! Let me ask you, what is more valuable? Are you willing to do the same for someone else, maybe someone younger? Do you see yourself as worthy or capable enough to do that after all you have done?

I challenge our church leaders as well as myself to not be like the lenders who presented interest-only loans and adjustable rate mortgages a few years ago and the devastation that has been brought to so many families in our current nationwide mortgage situation. The lenders did what it took to get their clients into and taste the house of their dreams, a heavenly place of residence. They influenced a decision without the proper foundation, preparation, and guidance that ultimately resulted in a temporary fix to a situation that needed a more permanent, secure, and truthful solution. I challenge you to see your responsibility in the ever more crucial situation going on for a place in eternity. God wants to use you to lead and appropriately point people to Him for eternity, not just for a day, or a season. He is an everlasting God. Are you a lender offering quick feel good fixes, or are you a church leader that offers a more lasting, authentic and true picture of whom God is and putting in systems behind the scenes that do the same? I challenge you to lead by your actions and not your words, and to be slow to speak and quick to listen. Lead people and teach people to lead others in putting words to the walls that hold them back from experiencing a true relationship with others and most importantly the God of the Bible. Lead people and teach people to lead others in prayers of forgiveness where they have been disappointed or hurt in the past. Lead people and teach people to lead others in having a right view of God, otherwise they are all worshiping a false idol and not in Spirit and in Truth. Lead people and teach people to lead others in being humble and to ask for wise council whether professional or from someone wiser who has walked similar paths. Finally, I challenge you to lead and teach in small circles with a culture of intentionality, timeless effort and many one on one interactions of authentic relationship and honest sharing of the hearts (both for them and for you). A great question is always, “What’s on your heart?” Be ready to share and then be ready to listen. That is something more powerful than any advice, cliché saying or ideology!

I believe in the mega church and the relevant church. I believe God is using the gifts of His people to expand his kingdom and His Church. Nevertheless, these so called churches must find how to walk the thin line, and find the balance of realizing the importance and needed inclusion of those who are gifted in doing the soul work. The systems, programs, and processes of replication and mass production must be founded on truth, authenticity, and a faceless motivation for that one. . . that one. . . and that one. . .

“For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20. I find the heart of Church is Jesus’ model of 12 disciples and HIs inner circle of three. Can these circles make up the inner workings of a mega church and relevant church? Absolutely! However, if they don’t, these mega churches and relevant churches will be a temporary fad, a forgotten cliché saying, and in ideology that sadly falls because its foundation is weak, shallow and false.

Listen to Matt Redman’s lyrics to “The Heart of Worship”. Listen to them with the contemporary church in mind. Replace the thought of worship in these words, with the thought of the gathering of believers. God’s church!

I Am Not a Victim

noreply@blogger.com (James Martin III) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:33:00 +0000

Two months ago I blacked out while working out and fell back and hit my head pretty hard on a tile floor. I obtained a fractured skull in the back of my head and bruising, bleeding, and fluid on the brain in the front. Looking back and processing these events with my wife lead me to the completion of this post. I had actually started on this post prior to the near death experience, but the incident prompted me to study this principle more in depth, and to complete it with more detail.

After talking with my wife, I realized that I was not able to recall the first 48 hours after the fall, and the doctors were in fear of brain damage and watching me closely to see if brain surgery was going to be needed. The severity of this day will not haunt me for the rest of my life but rather teach me about life’s frailty and my lack of control. For God’s sake I simply went to the gym to exercise and take another step to a healthy life style. I write this post two months later (still with headaches and no smell) realizing that God had grace on me and allowed me to come out with a different perspective. I realize how precious time is, how little we have of it, and how important it is to make the most of it.

That transitions me into the heart of this post. As I said in the previous paragraph, I still endure slight headaches and no smell. Before the accident I probably endured headaches about twice a year. My smell was very receptive and precise. I have become conscious in the past month of the fact that I have developed a more than slightly bitter attitude about the whole incident, and it has challenged my relationship with God as well as my view of God. I have come to the conclusion that I have a decision to make. As with any perceived negative significant event in our lives, we all have a decision to make. I am either going to decide “I am a victim”, and live and operate out of that mentality, or the other choice to make is, “I am NOT a victim, I am a champion”, and to live and operate out of that mentality. Here are those two frames of minds:

Victim Mentality

Life just happens to me!

Beliefs: I believe life is difficult for me, nothing good ever happens to me, I’m not capable, I’m not good enough, It’s all my fault, and I’ll limit myself whenever I can.

Feelings: I feel helpless, I feel hopeless, I feel angry, I feel bitter, I feel resentful, I feel depressed, I feel trapped, I feel chaotic, I feel guilty, and I feel shameful.

Behavior: I will blame others, I will take out resentment on others, I will yell, I will avoid, I will do nothing and withhold myself from others and act out in ways that are contrary to who I really am.

Champion Mentality

I have a responsibility and I am accountable to the choices I make, and the way I will respond to life!

Beliefs: I have opportunities and options, I can learn from my mistakes, I am responsible for myself but not for others, and I have a right view of God.

Feelings: I fell hopeful, capable, I have optimism for this situation, I feel love, I have kindness, I have freedom, I feel peaceful, I feel joy, I feel happiness, I feel relieved.

Behavior: I give rather than take, I take ownership of what is mine rather than blame, I make healthy choices, I ask for help when I need it, and I trust in God and depend on Him helping me to respond to my circumstances rather than react.

I want to clarify that this choice of being a victim or a champion dictates our outlook and mindset as a response to the things that happen in our lives. However, it does not give us the power to control those around us or the events that happen to us. That is God’s responsibility and His alone. I believe as I have investigated these truths more deeply, the more I realize how independent of God I can at certain times become, depending on the circumstances of my life and the view of God that I sometimes hold. Therefore the need is apparent of the importance of His Word and His people to consistently keep that view on track.

People have continually asked me what I have learned from “The Fall”. This is now my response after two months of processing. “I have learned that God is in control and I am not, He is my provider and I am not, He alone is my salvation and I am not, and I do not want to be independent of Him any longer even for just a moment, but rather dependent in all areas, all times, and all circumstances of my life.” I am responsible for the way I respond to my circumstances and my choice is a Holy, “I am NOT a victim, I am a champion!!!" This choice is enclosed with the trust of Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.”

PS - Today is my 7 year anniversary of being Born Again!

Remember What He Has Done!

noreply@blogger.com (James Martin III) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:30:00 +0000

I was at a small group on Tuesday night and a man of twice my age responded to our response to the initial question with, "You remember what He has done!" The question was, "Where is God to you?" and I, as most others in the group responded with far, distant, somewhere else and not present.

These responses are not biblically true if you read the Bible, however they were the honest answer to the question and many people's real life feelings about where God is in their lives. Personally I believe and know that God of the Bible is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all governing or all powerful), and omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time). However, my feelings don't always match up with that truth of God being omnipresent. I know that God is near and even closer than that, inside of me, but my feelings don't always sense his nearness. So how do I align my feelings with that truth?

Joshua chapter 4 describes the miracle of the waters of the Jordan being cut off by the Lord, allowing the nation of Israel to cross over on their journey to the promise land. As a remembrance the Lord had Joshua choose 12 men, one from each tribe, to go to the middle of the Jordan river and pick up 12 stones and bring them back to where they were staying for the night. Joshua set the stones up as Joshua 4:6,7 says, "to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."

God was teaching and demonstrating by a physical action of placing stones at the spot where the miracle was performed, this powerful lesson of remembrance. God also tells us in Deuteronomy 5 to not only observe the Sabbath every seven days, but in addition to keeping it holy, He commands us to remember that we were slaves in Egypt, and He brought us out with a mighty hand and outstretched arm. The Lord again wants us to remember what He has done in each of our lives every week. More important than a physical action, the Lord wants to get this powerful lesson of remembrance into our thought patterns and into our minds every day. He wants us to not only rest on the seventh day but also remember. In turn, this understanding and knowledge of what He has done for us, how He has been near in the past and will contiue to be near to us in the present and future, will trickle down into our hearts and influence our feelings with truth.

When things are tough, when the Lord is distant, and maybe even the times when you feel him very close, remember what He has done in your life, and you will be overcome with the discovery of this powerful lesson which brings the reality of our Lord's omnipresent attribute to our lives.

Thanksgiving 2007: Elf Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (James Martin III) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000

It's Thanksgiving day, 2007. I'm in Enid, Oklahoma. Have you ever been there before? I didn't think so. I haven't been here before either. I'm here this year with my good friends Cameron and Marelize Schaefer and my beautiful wife Sara. I figured it's a perfect time and place to start my blogging endeavors. Cameron actually showed me his blog and I was pretty impressed. His excitement carried over to me and I'm beginning to see the benefits of the blogging community.

We enjoyed a feast of feasts today, and for all of us (because of individual circumstances) it was the first time experiencing Thanksgiving without our parents and family. If you're not with your family on Thanksgiving you better be with some very close friends. We all commented on how we missed our families, but we definitely enjoyed our time together. We played some Madden and Nertz, looked at expensive houses in Enid, watched football and The Office, blogged, experienced great conversation about life, shot guns, played racquetball, and ate until our stomachs were content. I'm sure we will all be with our respective families next year, but this year was a great change of pace. It was also a confirmation that we are all capable and responsible adults who pulled off a great Thanksgiving without our parents. Does that mean we want to do it next year? Probably not! However, for this year we wouldn't do it any different.

Click Here to view how much fun we had on Elf Thursday!