Spiritual Concepts in an Unspiritual World

New Blog... Come Sign Up!

2009-11-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

Hey Y'all. Moved to a new blog. Love to have you follow. Check it out...

www.gphintz.wordpress.com

Hope to see ya there!

GP

Easter Sermon

2009-04-12T04:58:00.000-07:00

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the disciples and their journey with Jesus. They, like us, had to move through many seasons – whether despair or elation, destiny or discouragement – they continued through as they watched the plans of God unveil in their lives. This all started with them being chosen by Jesus to be His disciples…

1. Chosen

I remember growing up and waiting to be picked in gym class. Some of you have fond memories of those days, being the first one that would be picked and running over to the side of your team and having them rejoice at the fact that you were there and that just your simple presence was ensuring your team the victory. And then there are the high fives and the chest bumps and the jeering of the other team who just wasn’t lucky enough to get you… OK, I’m not bitter. I’m just stirring up some repressed memories.

But, maybe you were on the other end of the spectrum. You were that kid who would stand behind that really tall girl and just give into the fact that the reason you weren’t picked first was because they couldn’t see you. Yes, that is what it is. They couldn’t see you. And then the girl is picked. And you are left standing there – exposed. Finally, everyone is picked except you and Willard – you know, the kid who eats his boogers for lunch. And the person picking teams is looking to you and then over to Willard and then back to you and then back over to Willard and you’re thinking to yourself – NO! PICK ME! PICK ME! And then you hear the words come out of this mouth. They come forward so slow. “I guess we’ll take… Willard”. The other team relents and takes you on their team and you feel like you just became the anchor that was taking this ship down.

That feeling of being looked over… that feeling of being forgotten… that feeling of being chosen last. It brings strong emotions. This was an emotion that the disciples had all felt. You see, in Jewish culture, there were two roads that you would go down as a young boy. The first was the hope of every parent in Jewish culture. It was the road of being chosen by the rabbi. The rabbi would pick certain young men who would come under their tutelage. These boys would follow the rabbi from town to town and learn from the rabbi and possibly, became a rabbi themselves one day who would then take people under their wings and teach them the way. This was the first road… the first path.

The other road was learning your father’s business and taking over the family trade. Whether it was carpentry or fishing, you would learn everything that you needed to know from your father and your father would assure that you had a firm understanding, grasp and ability to make the business your own. It is into this world that we find those first disciples who were called to follow Jesus.

It happened early on in the Gospels where Jesus is teaching by the sea and he calls his first disciples – who just happened to be fishermen. Fishermen who were working with their father. Fishermen who had been overlooked. Fishermen who were now hearing the call of the rabbi saying – ‘Come, follow me.’

I’ve heard people say, ‘How could they just leave their father there holding the nets?’ ‘How could they just leave the family business like that?’ On the other hand, ‘How could they not?’

For them, this was the chance of a lifetime. This was a golden opportunity and they had to take it. And for the father, I believe that there was no greater compliment to a dad then to have their son chosen to walk with a rabbi - especially a rabbi who had the following of Jesus. At the time that Jesus calls these first disciples to himself, the Bible tells us that He was teaching and that there were so many people there that Jesus had to use a boat as a pulpit just so he wouldn’t be crowded out. This was a rabbi who had an incredible amount of influence and one who was choosing these disciples to follow him.

So, these disciples followed Jesus and spent time with Jesus. They saw the miraculous. They saw the lame walk. They saw the blind see. They saw Him walk on water. They heard his teachings. They saw His faith. They saw His prayer life and reliance on His Father.

These disciples had an idea of what they were part of. A telling example is when Jesus looks at Peter and says, ‘Who do you say I am?’ And he replies, ‘You are the Christ. The Son of the Living God.’ Essentially, Peter is saying ‘You are the Messiah that we’ve been waiting for!’

Messiah, to a NT Jew, meant the fulfillment of what they and their parents and their grandparents and their great grandparents had been waiting for… stories past on from generation to generation of one who was going to come to make everything right… one who would make sense of this life. Now, in front of them, this one stood. And this one… this Messiah… was calling them to follow Him.

From this incredible feeling of elation and joy, came a sense of loss like no other…

2. Loss
Many of us know the story of Jesus and what happened on Good Friday. Whether it was the stories that we were told in Sunday School or the graphic rendition put together by Mel Gibson in the ‘Passion of the Christ’, we have some knowledge of what happened to Jesus.

I still remember when the depth of the loss became real to me. I was eighteen or nineteen and I was invited to this Christmas Cantada. Now, I wasn’t sure what a cantada was – and I’m still not too sure – but I found out that it was a play and a musical… at least this one was. Now, the church that I was in at this time was huge. It could sit a thousand pretty easily and I was in the last row. I was this little hoodlum, with my Duke starter jacket on who was there simply because it was Christmas and I was trying to make m parents happy. So I sat there, reluctantly, and watched.

Now Jesus comes in. I’ll never forget it. The ambiance was perfect. The music was joyous. The lights were bright white. The people were swinging around these palm branches and singing out ‘Hosanna! Hosanna!’ I can’t tell you why – maybe it was the lights or the music or the atmosphere, but I was caught up in this moment. I was into it. And then I saw Jesus. Jesus was riding up on a donkey. The people were singing to Him. The music was for Him. The praises were to Him. The lights were bright and on Him and there was a happy feeling in my gut and a smile began to infect my face – which wasn’t a common occurrence. And then everything changed.

The music went dark and the lights went red. The palms that were being held by the masses were dropped in heaps and replaced with fists which were pumping in the air. The beautiful lyrics which were being sung only moments earlier transformed into chants of ‘Crucify Him!’ ‘Crucify Him!’ The people, the same people who had just been praising him, grabbed him and threw him to the soldiers who stood by. They began whipping Jesus and beating Him with their fists and with the kicks. They then put Him on a cross and nailed Him there - hands first and then His feet. The music stopped. The movement stopped. The voices dissipated. Jesus was lifted up on the cross for all to see.

It was there, at that moment, that I got it – it made sense. I’ll never forget lifting the collars of my coat and covering my eyes because the tears began to fall, one after another. They took Him down and placed Him in a tomb. I felt the loss at that moment - the loss for me. The confusion – why did they do that? The pain – how could they do that? The hopelessness – now what am I to do?

It was there, at the foot of the cross and the base of the tomb, where we see the disciples questioning everything that they knew – everything that they believed. ‘It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.’ – you can hear one saying. ‘He was supposed to lead us in an uprising and we were supposed to win this battle’ – you could hear another. But instead they stood there in loss. Being brought from a place of hope and worth, only 3 years prior, and then taken to the depth of despair.

3. Redemption

It is in the midst of this despair that we see the redemption story becoming clear. It is in the story that highlights a woman and her trip to the tomb. This woman sees that the tomb is there, but that the stone which sealed it shut had been removed. Her immediate response is terror. ‘How could they take him? How could they steal him? Who would do such a terrible thing?’ She gets to the door, afraid to look in… afraid of what she might find. She looks and to her chagrin… it’s an empty tomb.
The disciple Luke tells us that as they are looking in bewilderment, two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. They spoke. ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!’

After this, we see moment after moment from the famous walk on the road to Emmaus to his appearance before the disciples, from his meeting with doubting Thomas to his ascension into heaven. There is a redeeming quality that takes place… a bringing back into focus.

I remember going to get glasses when I was young. The doctor would look at me and tell me to sit behind a machine. It looked like a magical contraption. I’d rest my chin on a smooth, shiny plate and lean my forehead into the padding. Everything I saw was blurry. I was looking through lenses, but the lenses offered me no hope to see. And then, one by one, the doctor would put a lens down and then put it up again. “Which is better?” He would say, “Lens one or two”. Again and again he’d do this until my vision was perfect – crystal clear.

I imagine that this would’ve been like the experience that the disciples were having on that morning. Foggy. Blurry. Confusing. Their reality made no sense. And then, the report of the tomb being empty. Lens one or lens two. And then, the road to Emmaus takes place and the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection comes again. ‘Lens one or lens two.’ Then, the upper room. He shows them His hands and His feet and the wounds which were there. Lens one or lens two. He sees Thomas and says, ‘Thomas, put your finger here. Thomas, take your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Lens one or lens two. And finally, Jesus, giving the Great Commission, goes to take His place at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Lens one or lens two. We see the disciples saying, “Yes! I see! This makes sense! I understand now! I get it!” And at that moment, the disciples are redeemed or brought back into the full understanding of the message of Jesus.

4. Purpose
And it was in that moment, that moment of understanding and clarity, that Jesus says this, “You have purpose! There is a reason for your existence! It is not by chance that you are here.”

Let that be the message of Easter. Let it be a message that God is in the business of taking broken hearts and broken dreams and thoughts that we messed up too much and our regrets and our pains and all those things which bring us down or cause despair in our hearts. That He can take all of this and say, “No. We’re not done yet. Yes, it’s been hard. Yes, it’s been tough. Yes, I know that there is pain. But the message of Easter is this… ‘We’re not done yet. We’re not finished. In fact, we’re just beginning. We’re just getting started.’

Listen, if you are here today and that made sense to you, then receive it. God is not done with you. You haven’t strayed too far. You haven’t messed up too much. You haven’t hurt Him too bad. His arms are open wide and He’s saying to you, ‘Come!’

The message of Christ is simple… ‘Come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.’ He doesn’t say, ‘Fix it yourself. Get your life together and then come see me and watch what I’ll do.’ He says, ‘Come as you are and then, and only then, can we walk this thing called life together. Arm in arm. Hand in Hand. Together.

Maybe today, you want to take that step into relationship with Jesus. Let’s pray today for that …

Books Read in 2008

2009-04-10T09:30:00.001-07:00

Hey! I was digging through some old files and i found my list of books read in 2008. A lot of times someone asks me what I've been reading... Well, here it is. I love talking about books and encourage anyone else who shares this love and is interested in any of the '08 selection to chime in. It's pretty eclectic, so i hope that there's something for everyone. I left my Bible books in because they are some of the most thought provoking, controversial books in the Bible and worthy of some great discussions. Keep reading! GP

Books read in '08

Acres of Diamonds by: Russell H. Conwell (3/08)
The Total Money Makeover by: Dave Ramsey (3/08)
The Great Divorce by: C.S. Lewis (3/08)
Why Men Hate Going to Church by: David Murrow (3/08)
The Autobiography of George Muller by: George Muller (3/08)
Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything by: Steven D. Levitt & StephenJ. Dubner (4/08)
Fight Club by: Chuck Palahniuk (5/08)
The Sun Also Rises by: Ernest Hemingway (5/08)
To Have and Have Not by: Ernest Hemingway (5/08)
Think Big by: Ben Carson M.D (5/08)
The Relevant Church by: Compilation from [relevantbooks] (6/08)
No Country For Old Men by: Cormac McCarthy (6/08)
The Barbarian Way by: Erwin Raphael McManus (7/08)
The Shack by: William P. Young (7/08)
A Million Little Pieces by: James Frey (8/08)
2 Die 4 by: Ryan Dobson (8/08)
Genesis (Holy Bible) (8/08)
Exodus (Holy Bible) (9/08)
Matthew (Holy Bible) (9/08)
Leviticus (Holy Bible) (9/08)
Numbers (Holy Bible) (10/08)
The Screwtape Letters by: C.S. Lewis (10/08)
Mark (Holy Bible) (10/08)
Deuteronomy (Holy Bible) (10/08)
The Road by: Cormac McCarthy (10/08)
Joshua (Holy Bible) (11/08)
Judges (Holy Bible) (11/08)
Ruth (Holy Bible) (11/08)
Wealth Conundrum by: Ralph Doudera (12/08)
You’re Broke Because You Want to Be by: Larry Winget (12/08)

Creative Writing "The Interior - Chapter 2"

2009-03-20T08:50:00.001-07:00

The story continues...

The Interior – Chapter 2

The dust had long settled in her kinky black hair and formed streaks that ran lengthwise from her scalp down her face. Dust mixed with tears forms mud which is caked to her cheeks in such a way that she resembles a warrior princess preparing for battle. But her heart is not prepared for war or pain or loss. It is not ready to move forward… alone. It isn’t ready to address the insurmountable tasks that sit right before her. So, she lies there alone in a pile of rubble allowing the weight from the debris to embrace her like the clutches of a parent… a parent she never knew.

The yelling had long ceased and the activity had been followed by an eerie silence which penetrated the atmosphere. It was a silence that brought a ringing which started as an annoyance and grew so loud that you’d have to cover your ears, knowing that the hands upon your ears made no difference but simply to placate your own soul.

A young woman in her early twenties passed the empty doorway of the hut. She saw the blood and had heard what had happened, but was looking for something else.

“Sharah. Sharah.” Her voice was low. Taking two steps into the hut she whispered, “Sharah, it’s me. Are you here? Sharah. Answer me.”

Her eyes moved quickly from the left to the right, surveying the carnage. It looked nothing like the hut she remembered from her youth. It was darker now. The sun didn’t set the way it once did and the rays which would dance on the walls had been replaced by shadows which only haunted its inhabitants. Reaching over, she grabbed a board and moved it. Then another. Then another. Then another until she exposed a small hand encrusted with blood. Her heart sank, realizing that she had found what she came to find.

With a burst of energy she began throwing the pieces of wall to the left and the right. Her tears fell steadily as she repeated, “No Sharah. No Sharah. No Sharah.” First an arm was exposed and then a leg and then a torso until finally, Sharah’s face was lit up by the shadows.

A deep cut was exposed on her forehead. Lips split from dehydration. Her eyes remained fixed upon the ceiling as her stomach exposed the thin, shallow breaths she was taking.

“Sharah. Can you hear me? Are you OK? Sharah.” She scooped the pile of bones into her arms and brought her close to her chest. She wished that she could give away life. She would freely give hers at this moment. She would allow this young girl… this child… to take her very breath… to take her very life. She would gladly die in this jungle to know that another child didn’t have to perish under the hands of that madman.

Sharah coughed and then whispered an unintelligible word. The woman was brought back to the reality of the situation. Putting her arms under Sharah’s legs and back, she picked her up and carried her to the door. She peered deeply to the left and to the right. She could still see the truck tracks and the trees which had suffered under their wrath as the soldiers exited the village. She could hear the soft muffled cries of moms who had lost sons or wives who had lost the love of their lives. She tiptoed through the doorway and went right – hoping to make it to the hut of Tsu-Tsu, the village doctor.

Every step brought a crack of a twig or the rustle of palm branches that echoed in the silence. She knew how much the militia would love to get their hands on Sharah. She had heard stories about how entire villages had been stripped of their young girls. She also understood that even though she had grown up with the people in this village and knew that they all had good hearts; she also knew that they’d be willing to give over Sharah at the hopes of getting their loved ones back. She couldn’t blame them. Loss and grief causes you to do the unspeakable sometimes, allowing you to look at your actions from the past tense instead of the present.

Dipping in between trees and huts, she was making good time. Sharah was repeating the same word over and over again. All of a sudden they stopped and slammed into the side of a hut.

“You! You! You! Everything… Put it all in here!”

The one speaking orders was close. He was right on the other side of the hut and spoke with authority and rage. Then she heard the voice… the voice of Tsu-Tsu.

“I will give you whatever you want. I will give you whatever I have. But, please sir, please don’t hurt the people. You can have everything here in the village. Just please let the people go. Please don’t take them.”

“We will do whatever we do. I’m not asking for permission. I’m giving an order.” She heard a button unlatch and then the sound of a pistol’s hammer being pulled back. “If you choose to disobey, I will treat you like the others.”

“Ok. Ok. Just don’t shoot. Please put that away. I’ll do whatever. This? Do you want this? Ok. Where do you want it?”

You could hear the hammer fall gently back into place. “That’s better. I want this entire hut placed in the truck. We need all the medical supplies we can get. And hurry up. I still have to catch up with the trucks before nightfall.”

Leaning tightly against the thatching, she slid down. Sitting there, she pulled Sharah close to her chest. Her heavy breaths told of sleep. In the background, she could hear the boxes being loaded onto the truck. These boxes carried with them life… they carried hope. With their disappearance, so went the only chance of restoration… of rebuilding… of renewal.

So she sat, buried in thatching. She sat buried in her thoughts. She sat buried under the weight of a child who was in desperate need of something far greater than medicine. She was in need of hope… of love… of redemption.

Creative Writing - "The Interior"

2009-03-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

So i am back on track... that's write (ha ha), i've picked up the pen and the paper (or maybe it's just my laptop and microsoft word program) and started writing again. It seems to be the one thing that always gets pushed to the back of my life, but the one thing that i love to do! I'm challenging myself to begin writing between 500-1000 word stories. I'll share them with you and you can let me know what you think. If you aren't into reading fiction - i understand. But, give it a chance and let me know what you think. Also, stay tuned and hold me accountable... i need to write more. GP

The Interior – Short Story

He pushed hard against the cold bricks, allowing the sand from their surface to fall between his cotton shirt and dirty brown skin. His knees rested below his chin and his arms squeezed legs tightly. Breath rose like the smoke from Hitler’s chimney – clouding the atmosphere and smelling like death. Exhaling, he let his stomach fall heavily against thighs. Inhaling, you could see his ribs.

The room was the size of a closet and the air as dark as night. Sounds echoed against its thin walls and carried with them anxiety and fear. Footsteps meant men and men meant death. The footsteps came closer and stopped; so dwelt death only a yard away. He held his breath and his bones squeezed tight against the flesh of his legs.

He heard a hand touch the wall which lay only a few feet from his nose. A plastered jail cell created for his protection. The fingers tapped lightly and then ran softly – first up and then down. There were shouts heard in the distance and gunshots which rang through the air, but the volume of the hand was soft.

A child, under the age of four, lay to his left and began to stir in its sleep. He reached over, putting his hand softly over her mouth and bringing one finger to his lips. Her eyes opened fast and registered terror. He hated to see this look which had become so normal for her, but knew that it was a natural reaction to their situation. Her eyes expressed her understanding. Her childhood was a distant memory and replaced with atrocities that even grown men should never have to witness.

The hand against the wall began to move again. This time to the left and then to the right – as if a giant cross had just been finger painted on the exterior. Voices were heard again, but this time they were closer and directed at the plaster. Words couldn’t be understood, but the inflection caused fear to rise in his heart.

‘Could it be?’ he thought. ‘After all this time? After all these days? And now… now here? In this tomb? In this place of refuse?’ He grabbed the child and brought her into his arms, allowing her to bury her head into his shoulder. He could hear a soft whimper and feel the tears begin to wet his shirt. He closed his eyes to the moisture of his own reality.

The hand which was gentle now attacked the wall with fury. First, the violent slap of an angry palm rang between the walls and then a sharper sound – one of fists and butts of guns – rang out like a popcorn machine. There was no rhythm or steady beat; just the chaos of rage personified in action. Plaster began to rain like hail on the duo.

The butt of an M-16 was the first item to enter their safe haven. It slammed through the plaster and exploded upon the bricks which lay beyond it. He lay upon his little angel and protected her like a mother bird upon her eggs. Not looking, he could feel the plaster now falling in chunks on his back and the dust entering his body through his mouth and nose. The voices could be heard clearly now – yelling vulgarities at the pile of flesh which was mounded on the floor.

A soldier in camouflage reached through the wall, falling heavily upon the man – grabbing his left arm in one hand and a chunk of his hair in the other. With one tug, the man was lifted up and thrown through the wall into the middle of the room. Laced up boots began to punish the man, relentlessly kicking without discretion. Bones could be heard cracking and blood began to paint the floor red. Groans of pain filled the room.

As this continued, a dirty faced four year old remained buried in the rubble watching the only one she knew as family be tortured for doing the only thing he could to protect her… become the target.

www.gphintz.com

Don't Mind Me...

2009-03-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

Don't mind me, i've just been packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing and packing...

then, when i'm done with that i pack some more and the worst part is that i don't even have that much stuff!

Blessings,
gp
www.gphintz.com

Just Returned From a Great Ministry in Mesa

2009-03-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a great ministry in Mesa, AZ called Sunshine Acres. I've been wanting to find someplace close to home to partner with and give back. If you've never heard of it before, here's some info. about it.

http://www.sunshineacres.org/

Sunshine Acres
Mission: Our mission is to provide a loving, wholesome, Christian home for children who are separated from their parents, and to help them establish long-term relationships with stable parental figures.

The Children: We serve boys and girls of all ages. The entry age is between 5 and 15. Exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis. Placements are for a minimum of one year and may continue as long as needed and appropriate - even through college. Children are accepted regardless of race, gender,religion or national origin. Sunshine Acres is a Home and we treat the children as our own. We always welcome visits from former children and their families, as our greatest joy is hearing of their success in life.

Our Founders: Vera Dingman, who founded Sunshine Acres with her husband, Rev. Jim Dingman in 1954. Passed away on July 19, 2005. Her faith in God and loving heart are an inspiration to us all. She is dearly missed. Her legacy lives on in our staff and the lives of the boys and girls.

Fees: Guardians are encouraged to participate in the childs care as able. No child is turned away for financial reasons.

Funding: Our home is primarily funded by private donations. Contributions are given by individuals, through the United Way, family estates, corporate, and memorial gifts. All gifts, whether they be large or small, are deeply appreciated. We do not receive any financial support from the Federal, State, or City Governments for care of the children. All donations are tax deductible.

I'm praying for God's wisdom in partnering with this ministry. It is definately my heart and i look forward to helping them in any way that we can. Please log onto their site to learn more about this wonderful minstry in the heart of Phoenix.

Blessing,
GP
www.gphintz.com

Christian Justice - Part One

2009-03-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Let me preface what you are about to see with a clear statment. Some of you will not be interested in this blog post. Some of you will be VERY interested in this blog post. It is the lesson that I'll be teaching this coming Wed. about Justice with reference to the book of Isaiah. You'll see it exactly as I wrote it with questions to ask and places to pause. I am doing this because I think that there are people out there who care about justice and want to play an active part in seeing it come to pass - they just need a subtle push. For some of you, let this be your push! Enjoy.

Christian Justice – Part I

What comes to your mind when I say the word “justice”?
What are some synonyms to this word “justice”?

So, the definition of the word justice is:
1. The quality of being righteous
2. impartiality; fairness
3. the quality of being right or correct
4. reward of penalty as deserved

Justice has a lot to do with ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’. Can you list some things that you would say is ‘right’ in life when it comes to the lives of teenagers? Can you give me a list of ‘wrongs’?

If we have a wrong idea of what’s right and what’s wrong in our minds, how can that affect your idea of ‘justice’?

Sometimes it is ignorance which keeps us from understanding injustice. Ignorance doesn’t mean we’re dumb, it simply means that we don’t know.

Can you give me an example of something that happened at school that demanded ‘justice’? do good on a test, kids get in a fight, cheat on test, graffiti

The Bible uses two words to look at justice. The first is ‘mish-pawt’ (pronouced) and means properly a verdict (favorable or unfavorable), a sentence or a divine law. Let’s read some verses using this word ‘mish-pawt’:

Lev 24:22 I am the LORD your God, and I demand equal justice both for you Israelites and for those foreigners who live among you. (H4941)

Pro 2:8 God sees that justice is done, and he watches over everyone who is faithful to him. (H4941)

Isa 5:16 But the holy LORD God All-Powerful is praised, because he has shown who he is by bringing justice. (H4941)

Psa 105:7 The LORD is our God, bringing justice everywhere on earth. (4941)

Hos 12:6 So return to your God. Patiently trust him, and show love and justice. (H4941)

Mic 6:8 The LORD God has told us what is right and what he demands: "See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God." (H4941)

Zep 3:5 All who do evil are shameless, but the LORD does right and is always fair. With the dawn of each day, God brings about justice. (H4941)

What are some things that we can learn from these verses about God and ourselves?

There’s another word that the Old Testament (Hebrew) uses for this word ‘justice’. This word is ‘tsaw-dak’. This word means ‘to be right in a moral or forensic sense’. So, we saw that ‘mish-pawt’ meant a verdict, ‘tsaw-dak’ means that thing which is right.

Deu 32:4 The LORD is a mighty rock, and he never does wrong. God can always be trusted to bring justice. (H6663)

Job 34:17 The mighty God is the one who brings about justice, and you are condemning him. (H6662)

Psa 45:7 You love justice and hate evil. And so, your God chose you and made you happier than any of your friends. (H6664)

Psa 58:11 Everyone will say, "It's true! Good people are rewarded. God does rule the earth with justice." (H6662)

Psa 97:6 The heavens announce, "The LORD brings justice!" Everyone sees God's glory. (H6664)

Isa 24:16 From all over the world songs of praise are heard for the God of justice. But I feel awful, terribly miserable. Can anyone be trusted? So many are treacherous! (H6662)

Isa 61:10 I celebrate and shout because of my LORD God. His saving power and justice are the very clothes I wear. They are more beautiful than the jewelry worn by a bride or a groom. (H6666)

Zec 8:8 and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, faithful to bring about justice. (H6666)

When we see this, we almost always see it equated with what God is bringing with Him. He’s bringing this sense of ‘rightness’ with Him and when we see injustice, we can be sure to know that He wants to be at work in the midst of it.

Can you give me any examples of injustice in the Bible?
How do we see God responding in the midst of that injustice?

In our lives, we all have seen things or been in situations that seemed ‘unfair’. Whether it’s someone being picked before us in gym class to not getting the scholarship we need for college, we’ve all faced unfairness in some way. There’s another word we’re going to look at today – “oppression”.

Definition: “Oppression is unfairness taken to extremes.”

Oppressors use lies and force to take what rightly belongs to someone else.

Can you give me some examples of oppressors from today or history that you read about or saw on TV?

What made them oppressors?

God is very patient with failures and mistakes and slips and backslides and screwups but is incredibly intolerant of oppression.

Let’s read a portion of scripture that we’re focusing on today. Isaiah 1:10-17

“Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah?” vs. 10

Who does it appear that Isaiah is talking to?

Can anyone tell me the story of Sodom and Gomorrah?

History tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in the time of Abraham who lived around the year 2000BC. In his time Sodom and Gomorrah were completely destroyed. Isaiah lived around 700BC – 1300 years later.

This would be like me calling you after a city that was destroyed in 700AD. What made the story of Sodom and Gomorrah one that was remembered for 1300 years and then even over double that after this reference?

What were some of the attributes of Sodom and Gomorrah that Isaiah was trying to put on Judah?

Let’s keep reading.

“The multitude of your sacrifices – what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations – I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood…” vs. 11-15

If God were saying this message today to the church, what would it sound like? What words would be different?

If I was Judah, I would feel pretty helpless right now. Here, God has basically said that I could give as much money in the offering as I could and it wouldn’t make Him happy. I could pray till I was blue in the face and He won’t listen or even look at me. He’s telling me that all my special church services that I attend are worth nothing in His eyes.

If you were to look at an individual who gave money to the church, attended every time there was a service and prayed, would you think that this is what God would be saying to him? Why or why not?

The good news is that God gives hope. He’s in the hope business. This portion continues to say… “…Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong. Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” Vs. 15-17

I love how the CEV puts it. “Stop doing wrong and learn to live right. See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help those in need.”

I’m a simple guy and I love simplicity. God, through Isaiah, makes this so simple for us.

Just from reading this, what do you think is more important in the eyes of God – coming to youth group or seeking justice? Coming to church or seeking to overturn injustice?

Let’s look a little deeper at this verse. We see the command from Isaiah – ‘Stop doing wrong!’ We have to remember that Isaiah was not an evangelist at this moment trying to get people to turn to God. He is talking to the ‘church’. He is talking to believers.

What wrong doing do you see in some people who follow God today?

If you don’t want to answer this aloud, you don’t have to. But if you do, you can. What wrong doing have we seen when we look in the mirror?

The command, right after ‘stop doing wrong’ is "learn to live right". If the command is to learn, this means that it is not innate. It is something that we have to develop or learn.

What are some things that we can do to ‘learn to live right’?

Next, two words ring loud – “Seek Justice”. This word seek can mean to tread or follow or ask or question. It gives the idea that we should look intently for justice and, if we don’t find it, begin to question why it isn’t there. Conversely, we should locate where we do see justice and find out what is allowing that situation to be just, learn from it and apply it elsewhere.

“Encourage the Oppressed” is the next command. The King James Version of the Bible says ‘relieve the oppressed’. The word used here can mean ‘to be straight with’ or ‘to be honest with’ or ‘to be right, honest or happy with’. When I first read this I thought to myself, ‘I wouldn’t want to be straight and honest with someone who is oppressed – it said that I was supposed to encourage them, not depress them.’ Then I started thinking. They know their situation. They know what’s going on. And, if my heart’s right and I really want to help them out of their oppression then my honesty will be a sense of encouragement toward them.

Let’s take a moment and look at the oppressed. Give me some examples of those who are oppressed in some different categories:
1. In the world
2. In the US (country)
3. In Arizona (state)
4. In Wickenburg (city)
5. In our school

The next command is to ‘Defend the cause of the fatherless’.

What does it mean to defend?
In your opinion, who are the fatherless?
Can you think of some other people who need defending?

Lastly, we read that we are to ‘plead the case of the widows’.

What is life like for a widow?
What does it mean to plead their case?

I am a fan of simplicity and pleased that God used Isaiah to make this portion of scripture so simple for me. Unfortunately, its simplicity to understand does not lessen its difficulty to implement. I see the need. It’s immense. It’s vast. It’s more than I can handle at some times. But if not you… then who? And if not now… then when?

I hope you enjoyed!
GP
www.gphintz.com

New Place Photos

2009-03-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

Thought you'd like to see the photos of the new place. We're not in it yet, but i'm really stoked about it. Two more weeks! Check it out! (i'm excited... can you tell?)

Thank you all for your prayers. This move is happening just one month before the baby's arrival and my prayer was that we'd be in a new place before the baby came. I didn't have to knock down any doors - God just knew our prayer and enabled it to happen. He is awesome and always on time!

http://www.gphintz.com/

Moving... again... and LOVING IT!

2009-03-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

That's right, we're moving again. It will be our fourth move in less than four years, but I don't regret a one. Looking back, I see God's hand on each and every place we've been. It has been for a season of time and then it's time to move on to another season of time. I can't wait to show y'all the photos I'll take in 2 weeks when I move in. Until then just keep my family in your prayers as we pack all of our worldly belongings and prepare to make another house a home...

GP
www.gphintz.com

I am now a facebookian

2009-02-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

Well, i've done it. I've put it off for many days and weeks and months, but now i'm part of the momentum. The tidal wave has overtaken me and now i'm going with the flow. So, if you're there - look me up... gphintz.

Peace,
GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

IGNITE Food Drive... So Stinking Proud!

2009-02-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

I am so stinking proud of the teens of IGNITE Youth Group. They are making a great difference in this world - one life at a time. At a moment when the biggest concerns on many teens' lives are their Guitar Hero scores or what level of WOW they are on - these kids devoted their time, energy and strength for those less fortunate in their community. Words can't express the joy that i have in my heart for them. I wanted to link you to the story in the paper about them, but i couldn't find it. Instead, take this photo, blow it up and check it out. Go ahead and comment and i'll let them know what the world thinks of what they're doing...

Hope you enjoyed!
GP
www.gphintz.com

Photos from our Food Drive 2

2009-02-21T16:51:00.001-08:00

Don't Stop Now!

www.gphintz.com

Photos from our Food Drive 3

2009-02-21T16:45:00.001-08:00

Hope you enjoyed,

www.gphintz.com

Photos From our Food Drive Pt. 1

2009-02-21T16:38:00.000-08:00

Well world, today was awesome! Many times in life you come up with an idea and you begin to walk down a path and it's not until you reach your destination that you discover that the hand of God had to be guiding you. That is where I was today. I can honestly say that i am not a crier, but overwhelmed with emotion from the work that we did today, i almost broke down in tears.

The idea was a food drive to help the CAP (Community Action Program) in my town. They help those less fortunate in my city and were running low on food. We decided to take a stand and do something about it. I came to the realization that i want to change the world, but the world's too big to change. But, what i can do is find something that i can change... and change that and then each change we make will help to change the world. This idea was the food bank in my town - and that is just what we did.

I am so thankful for all the people who joined in this endeavour. From my good friends Kevin and Alan to the teens and adults from the church. There were some as young as two and some as old as... well, i guess age really doesn't matter :) Enjoy the photos and always remember - 'You can make a difference on this earth! Just find the need and fill it'. I Hope You Enjoy These Photos!

Much Love,

http://www.gphintz.com/

Food Drive Starts Today!

2009-02-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

OK! Today is the day. We are hitting the streets and letting everyone know that we're coming back tomorrow for their food. That's right - "Just put the canned goods in the bag and step away from the door!"

Ha! Ha!

If you read this, say a prayer for us today that we'll have a great impact on those less fortunate here in Wickenburg.

Thanks,
GP
www.gphintz.com

A Sneak Peek of Xander Gregory

2009-02-19T16:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak peek of Xander Gregory - scheduled to make his debut in a few short months. Our friends - Greg and Maria Struve - gave us a trip for a 3-d and 4-d ultrasound. It was awesome! Not only did we get some great still shots of him, but there's also a video! I'll be sure to keep you updated!

" Oh Yeah! It's cozy in here!"

" I'm just gonna stretch out and relax. I might as well, life can't get much better than this!"

"See ya guys later. I found my thumb and that'll keep me quite content until we get to meet face to face. Adios Amigos!"

Well, there ya go. And he's so smart... He's already speaking Spanish!

Your Partner in the Gospel,
GP
www.gphintz.com

Great Quote

2009-02-15T05:06:00.000-08:00

"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks." - JFK

Some words to think about today...

Be blessed,
GP
www.gphintz.com

Life just don't get...

2009-02-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

Life just don't get much better than this...

Be blessed,

www.gphintz.com

Made the Front Page of the Newspaper

2009-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! The youth group made the front page of our local newspaper - The Wickenburg Sun. We're going to be working hard in the next few months to make sure that we are helping those less fortunate then ourselves. Please click below to check out the article...

http://wickenburgsun.com/articles/2009/02/11/news/news04.txt

Hope you enjoyed,

GP
www.gphintz.com

2009-02-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well, there were some who really wanted to see what we did over at the CAP office the other day, so I figured that i'd give you a glimpse into the endeavor. This is not an exhaustive photo journal, but i hope that you can see that there are some awesome youth in Wickenburg striving to make a difference in their community!

God Bless,

www.gphintz.com

New Life Quote

2009-02-10T07:21:00.001-08:00

If you know me, than you would know that i love quotes and books and reading. In fact, if you've been around me at all you would probably know that one of my favorite quotes is - "Readers are..."

Some of you just finished this sentence. It is that embedded in your soul! I'm so excited!

Readers are Leaders!

And if you know me, you probably also know that my life verse is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and future."

But now i have a new favorite quote. I heard it said by a wonderful speaker the other day, but it originally came from the lips of St. Augustine. It goes like this...

"Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."

I LOVE IT! It encapsulates me perfectly. It's my heart and my thought and everything that i believe to be true. I hope it gives you something to think about today...

GP
www.gphintz.com

Redirecting Youth Ministry

2009-02-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

So, i've been doing this thing called 'youth ministry' for a few years now. It has been cool because i've been able to basically build from scratch. I started working for a church that had a youth minister before me, and a core group of kids (around a half dozen), but not an established ministry. So i came in, rolled up my sleeves and started to build.

My mistake was that i was trying to build a youth ministry based on cultural standards. You had to be the coolest or have the coolest this or that or come up with the messiest games to play or have the coolest kids coming each week. I hated it! I'd agonize over the schedule of service for days. I'd read this person's opinion or that person's opinion and then bang my head against the wall a few times. It was pure torture.

Then... a few months ago i said scratch it (i actually said 'screw it', but that's too PG-13 to say here). I was going to build a ministry based on the basics. The Bible and serving the community. That's a tough sale, so i decided to stop selling it. I just dug my heels in and started teaching the Bible and looking for opportunities to serve. Opened up the book of Mark and started teaching. (Don't get me wrong. It's not boring. I am relevant. But I decided to quit teaching what itching ears wanted to hear and started teaching on the life and teachings of Jesus).

Then... a girl in my youth group told me about this place in town which was helping elderly people. She said, 'we need to get out of the four walls and do something'. I said 'Amen sister!' and called the place. They began to tell me that their biggest need was their food pantry and food. I said, 'We can help...'

Then... i broke the city into four quadrants, called my buddy at the Wickenburg Sun Newspaper and decided to organize a food drive throughout the entire city over the next four months. Last Friday, we gathered about 20 people and headed to the food pantry (better known as the Community Action Program or CAP) and donated our time. We washed windows, cleaned floor mats and sorted through pickled herring and various cans of beans. Before we knew it, we organized the entire food pantry and cleaned the entire place. The staff was pleased and the kids were so satisfied in the work that they had done.

Then... you'll have to stay tuned to find out. The drive starts in two weeks. The one thing that i know is that i sense in my gut that we're headed out into uncharted territories. I sense in my guy that we're doing the right thing. I sense in my gut that we're following the leading of the Holy Spirit. I sense in my gut that God is so proud of these teens.

My advice to you... follow your heart. Don't try to be something you're not. Don't try to live up to someone else's standards. Don't compare yourself to someone else. And, if you're a minister, don't count your success by the number of people sitting in the chairs. There are lots of full, dead youth ministries. Think of the impact that is going on in their souls and the opportunities that you're giving these kids to serve. Those experiences will change them... not the number of times that they got covered in ketchup or the mud puddle that they wrestled in like pigs. Get them out there to see the faces of the hurting and the needy and those without hope and then, when they look in the mirror, they will see the smile of Jesus resonating from their own face.

Your Partner in the Gospel,
GP
www.gphintz.com

First Class Done and MLK Day

2009-01-20T06:48:00.000-08:00

Hello World! I've truly been slacking, but i'm back and i have some great news...

Drum roll please...

My first 'return to college class' is done! That's right, i finished my class up this past weekend. Now, i've moved from the macro to the micro and i'm taking 'cross cultural communication'. I'll be adding a third class in a few weeks. My goal is to take six classes this year.

It's been fun to learn some new information and it was a great time to take MacroEconomics with the state of the US economy. Now, when i read the headlines, they make a lot more sense to me.

In addition to this, i had a great MLK day yesterday. Anyone who knows a little about me will know that Martin Luther King is a hero of mine. I ended up putting this move 'King' on my DVR. I sat down with my son and watched it. He took the whole thing in and was taken back when he saw MLK get shot at the end. It's like he knew everything else, but he didn't know how he died. We had a good talk about good and evil and what that looks like and about his ability to use his life for good and to make a change. He was truly moved by King's life.

I want my sons to understand Dr. King's life in a grander scale than simply helping a march or giving a great speech.Dr. King stood up for something that was greater than himself and, knowing that it was going to cost him his very life, refused to step down or yield to the pressure. These are principles that I want for myself and my children. I want to carry that dream of freedom and the hope for a future that's brighter than today. I want to have the courage to speak even when the words don't want to be heard. I want to stand even when the weight on my shoulders is more than i can handle.

I want to close with the words of Martin Luther King's final sermon and words that have inspired me for years. They were spoken just one day before his life was taken. These words are not just for our ears, but for our hearts'.

"Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." MLK

God Bless,
GP
http://www.gphintz.com/

'08 into '09!

2009-01-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie - 2008 has been a great year for me! I've had to make some sacrifices, but i can definitely see the hand of God on my life, my family and my finances. I've seen miracle after miracle and heard God's voice so clearly through the most unlikely characters. I've been able to see God work through me in a ministry to inspire many teens to reach this world for Christ. I've been allowed to speak to men, women and teens from all over the world each and every week. I've been able to begin schooling again and had people go out of there way to see to it that it's not a burden for me. All you'd have to do is look over my blogs from the past year to see all the wonderful things that have gone on! God has been - and has not stopped - being good to me.

And now, we move into a new year and i have to tell you that i am extremely OPTIMISTIC! I'm optimistic about my personal life. I'm optimistic about the future of the church that i work at. I'm optimistic about my family and little Xander who's on his way. I'm optimistic about this nation. But most of all, i'm optimistic that God is going to move in my life in some awesome way. And, i want you to know, that this is something i want you to be optimistic about too. God desires to move in your life in a great way - you just have to allow him the access. Open your heart and mind to God today and watch what 2009 looks like!

Well, anyways, I thought you'd like a couple goals for my year. I won't bore you with an exhaustive list, but here's a couple you can hold me accountable for!

1. Hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and then climb out (notice i had to add the last part!)
2. Run a 5K race
3. Read more books this year than last
4. Read more books out of the Bible this year than last
5. Finish 6 college courses this year
6. Blog on a consistent basis
7. Pay off all of my debt
8. Sell a house in Ohio
9. Spend more time in prayer this year than last
10. Get stronger - mentally and physically!

There it is! Have a great year and i hope to see you back...

GP
www.gphintz.com