“Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 (HCSB)

Inspired by Francis Chan after reading the first chapter in his book, “Crazy Love,” I’ve been reflecting the past few days on my own response when I enter God’s presence. What do I do? Talk too much? Spend time in silent meditation? Am I consumed with my cares so much that I loose sight of who He is? That, so eloquently written by Chan, He is the star in this movie and I am a mere extra.

Or have I become what Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 29:13, “Because these people approach Me with their mouths to honor Me with lip-service – yet their hearts are far from Me, and their worship [consists of] man-made rules learned [by rote]“? Am I on auto-pilot? It’s easy to do, especially since I was raised in church from birth. Even in the charismatic world, everyone knew if the Holy Spirit was going to move (i.e. someone speaking in tongues) it almost always happened at the same time during the service.

And then these words from Charles Spurgeon really hit close to home, “It is not because you enter a church and sit in a pew that you are before God. To seek the shrines that have been most eminently regarded by the church, to stand by the site of that little skull-like hill called Calvary and pray there, to go to Olivet and bow your knee in Gethsemane, does not necessarily bring you before God. The nearer we are to the church, sometimes, the farther we are from God. We can be in the very center of the prayer meeting and not be “before God” at all. Praying before God is a more spiritual business than is performed by merely turning to the east or to the west or bowing the knee or entering within the walls hallowed for ages.”

So I end, not with an answer, but with more questions.
John-David Meissner

That is how it often starts. Maybe it continues with, “They owe you” or “They have more than they need.” So you take it and that is where it starts. Unfortunately you either deal with it then or it gets bigger. You start to take more, because they still owe you or it is still small or they still have more than enough.

Have you ever heard that voice?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

The writer of Hebrews says that sin entangles us. Those little moments when that voice says no one will know or no one will get hurt or they owe you, they slow us down. They entangle us and hinder our progress. They start small and usually lead to something big.

The governor of South Carolina probably understands this. He shared in an interview with the Associated Press that he had had several inappropriate relationships but never crossed “that” line until he did so with a close personal friend from Argentina. I’m guessing that he started with small things long before any of the relationships that he identified as inappropriate.

I’m guessing it started with flirting or spending some personal time with another woman. All harmless small things I’m sure.

Unfortunately the church is often unable to cope with these situations. No, not because we don’t know that they are wrong. No, often because we don’t appreciate what is happening. I know of to many Christians who are only concerned with whether or not they can be forgiven of sin instead of worrying that what looks like a small sin may actually entangle them.

I have known too many Christians who can identify a list of dos and don’ts who don’t realize the danger they are being protected from. Who don’t see that these “small” sins can slow their progress and in the end derail their lives?

The writer of Hebrews says focus on Jesus. How many of these small sins would we be willing to commit, willing to explain away, if we looked at Jesus hanging on the cross to carry them?

It is too easy to simply thinking about whether or not we can be forgiven instead of seeing the snare that sin can become.

God bless.

It has been very busy around here. VBS, Camp Summit along with the usual vacation and church camps.

What I have noticed is that our oldest is beginning to develop his identity, one that is beyond simply being a part of the family. This has been very difficult for me. It brings new challenges to our relationship.

I was thinking about this as we celebrated his birthday. I was also thinking about this at it relates to the church and discipleship. It would seem that we should go through this process as believers. A process where at first we are very dependent on God but as we grow and develop we find more and more of who we are in the Kingdom.

What do you think? Should we always expect our relationship with the Father to be the same or should it change just as mine has with our son?

“Fifteen percent of churches are growing, but only 1 percent grow primarily from new believers.” from Rev! Magazine Nov/Dec 2007

One percent grow primarily from new believers. Thoughts on that number? The majority of churches that are growing are not exactly growing because that growth comes from Christians changing churches.

What does that do to us? How does that impact us? What will we do in hopes of seeing that differently?

I just started reading So Beautiful by Leonard Sweet. Sweet is certainly a futurist when it comes to church. He wants to put a challenge out there hoping that we believers are listening.

Maybe it is a good time to be reading this book. The pressure that I experience in Oklahoma to conform to the way things have always been done is great. What I have to realize is it doesn’t really matter. What I have actually discovered is to much trying not to be something just means you spend a lot of time trying not to be something. I know, really deep thoughts here.

What I mean is the book has reminded me that I have spent to much time trying to be different then what came before instead of trying to be like Christ. I have spent to much time wanting something different instead of spending my time focused on Christ. Now I believe that if you focus on Christ things will be different but my mistake was thinking making things different would make people focus on Christ. It just means things will be different and without Christ that just seems confusing and wrong.

I know, what a goober.

“I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” 1 Corinthians 2:2

Focus on Jesus, his actions, his attitude, his heart and everything else will fall into place. Hey, I also understand that the church in Corinth didn’t just turn around because of these words. I get that, but that doesn’t change the message does it? Less trying to be different and more of Jesus, how can you go wrong with that?

We had our mid-year update Sunday for HF2.0.

We talked about what we have accomplished with our goals and where we still want to go.

We will be focusing on community building for the remainder of the year.

A big part of July will be preparing for our big Back to School day Wednesday, August 5 from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

It is always a fun and crazy day. If you have never participated come give us a hand starting this Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. We will have dinner as we start stuffing bags for the big day.

Are we willing to deal with adversity today? Are we willing to do what it takes to survive and even thrive in hard times? Have we become soft?

Is our natural response to hard times a why me or is it who better than me? When we deal with difficulties is our first response to wonder if God has abandoned us or to believe God is strengthening or shaping us?

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

I love what Paul has to say. He says I beat my body. That is serious stuff. He goes into training and training is hard.

What can we do about it?

First, ask yourself if you are soft. Our culture has conditioned us to believe it is supposed to be easy and comfortable.

Second, get angry. Yes, get mad. Get mad that you have let yourself go. Recently I realized I have put on a lot of extra weight. Without some anger at what I was doing to myself there was no way I was going to change. Too many people look at their spiritual life and recognize it isn’t right but just shrug their shoulders as if somehow it will just get stronger on its own.

Finally, set a goal and hold yourself accountable. With my weight I weigh myself every morning. I know that last nights cheese fries were not good. Because of that I have to be more diligent today. Spiritually it is no different. If I have lost my seriousness for the cause of Christ I need to think about that before I have traveled to far from God. I know of to many people who are far from who say they don’t know how they got there. It was a gradual thing.

How about you? Would someone compare your spiritual journey to an intense physical workout or would they say it was more like watching TV?

Okay, he died. It is sad but what does it tell you about our culture when every front page and every news outlet and everyone can only seem to talk about Michael Jackson.

He was an entertainer. He sang some great songs but if you ask some 12 to 14 year old boys they might have a different take on his value.

Is it any surprise that our culture is in free fall?

He sang songs, he moonwalked, no kidding he MOONwalked.

How many people live and die in anonymity selflessly serving others? When they die do we stop the presses? Splash them on the front page?

What a strange day.

We watched Defiance last night. For me it was an excellent movie. I loved so much of what the story was saying.

One scene really caught me when the two brothers Tuvia played by Daniel Craig and Zus played by Liev Schreiber discuss the Jews who have come to the forest for their protection. Zus points out that without the war none of these people would ever show them respect or even care about them.

Much of the movie made the point that many things change because of war. The way they lived, what they expected, and how the worked together changed because the stakes were so high. Things that were valued before like being an accountant or writer didn’t seem as important in the time of war. It was the Bielski’s with their knowledge of the forest and how to live outdoors that they needed.

In another scene Tuvia hands some documents to one of those who is educated because he can’t read.

Paul says we are at war. In Ephesians 6:12 he tells believers that, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

We do battle, we wage war. At one point Tuvia becomes ill and some men attempt to take control of the camp. They are selfish men only concerned with themselves. Their behavior is going to bring everyone down.

What values do we cherish today in the church? What sacrifices would we be willing to make to ensure the unity of the camp?

How different would it be if we lived as if we were at war?

The LORD says,
“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that did not call on my name.
Isaiah 65:1

I was reading in Isaiah this past week and this passage ran up and grabbed me. I think I live too much of my life not asking God for help. I do things FOR God but not WITH God.

I just don’t think I ask for help very often and that is going to change.

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