Monday, October 06, 2008

First Answer to Prayer

Even though I gave my life to Christ in the eighth grade, I didn't immediately take off in growth. I never really had any really strong examples to follow as far as people walking with God.

I do remember the first prayer other than salvation that the Lord answered. I think one of the biggest enemies in my life before I knew Christ and even afterward was fear. In the ninth grade there were a couple of guys who were older than I was that liked to pick on me and because of fear I would back down too often from these bullies. I remember crying out to God for help. Please Help Lord was my theological magnificat of prayer. Shortly after this prayer I was walking down the hallway at school and one of these fellows came up to me and hit me with a school book or something similar to that. To my own surprise I just reacted and punched him in the nose. From that day on this fellow and the others began to leave me alone. I knew in my heart it had been a moment of Gods boldness in me to conquer my fear and take up for myself. Theologically I don't know if punching someone fit, but for me God was helping me conquer fear.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Bible Study

"The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives."

Dwight L. Moody

"All of our efforts in Bible study are valueless if in the final analysis we do not change our characters and bring them more in conformity with Jesus Christ."

Rick Warren

Studying the bible will change the way we think, which will change the way we are, which will change what we do.

BA

Friday, September 26, 2008

Healthy living

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body." Proverbs 4: 20-22

Monday, September 08, 2008

Giving

"The hole you give through is the hole you receive through."
Keith A. Craft on Leadershipology.com

Suffering

 I relate to this letter by Fenlon.

"I am amazed at the power that comes to us through suffering: we are worth nothing without the cross. Of course, I tremble and agonize while it lasts, and all my words about the beneficial effects of suffering vanish under the torture. But when it is all over, I look back on the experience with deep appreciation, and am ashamed that I bore it with so much bitterness. I am learning a great deal from my own foolishness!"

Let Go - Francis Fenlon

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Love of Scripture

If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the Scriptures.

--Daniel Webster

Who is in Charge

I had lunch with a friend this week. As I reflected upon lunch I was remembering this verse from Galatians 1:1

Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead, and all the brethren who are with me, to the churches of Galatia:

The above scripture points out that Paul's calling was not from men or through men. In other words Paul isn't an apostle because a man handed him a diploma or an agency gave him that title. He doesn't minister in a local body because man put him there. The principle here is that God is the one who calls us and empowers us to do what he has called us to be.

As we mature as Christians God will take us through processes that help mold His image and nature in our character. He does this by given us specific life lessons in our day to day lives. God will give you times where you have favor with men or agencies of men and from a human eye it could look like they are promoting you. The test here is remember that it is God who calls and God who put us forward or promotes us. The first test comes when we are promoted by men or an agency of man (not that we really are, God promotes us but that is what the perception is) and are challenged to think we have earned that promotion, when the truth is we were faithful and God has promoted us. When it is in our thinking that men or an agency of man promotes us then we are vulnerable to the expectations of those men and our own expectations of that those men should do for us. There comes a second testing time when we don't have the favor of men or an agency of men. Again this tests whether our faith is in Christ alone. I think it is a given that these two processing situations will come into our lives that we can know that God alone is our supply. He is the one who calls, He is the one who appoints.

Having said this, I believe a second lesson is to be respectful of agencies or denominations or seminaries. God can call us to be involved in all of these because they are the place He is teaching us or ministering through us or allowing us to be stewards of the Kingdom of God. But these systems are not our primary source, they are just the environments God calling has us in at that time.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Remembering Process

It is interesting to look back and see how God develops areas of your life. I had a friend recently comment on my facebook blog about a time when I was in college where myself and three other guys took a whole evening and spent time in worship and prayer. This is a reflection of the furthering of that journey.

My worship journey began in the early 80's.

In the early 80's when at Tech I began to develop a love for intimate worship. Much of this was because in an atmosphere of worship and prayer is where I began to encounter the presence of God. This happened primarily in home bible studies with other college students in my college years. After college I was able to attend some churches where being open to the Holy Spirit in an atmosphere of worship was a primary focus.

In college I began listening to Hosanna type worship stuff. Songs were coming out of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Then in the later 80's I began to enjoy much of the CFNI (Christ for the nations worship). In the early 90's I went out to Los Angeles to work on my MDiv at Fuller seminary and started running into alot of Vineyard people. My wife and I ended up at Vineyard Christian Fellowship when John Wimber was there and the music as well as the presence of God through the Holy Spirit was very strong. Worship leaders like Andy Park, Eddie Espinosa, David Ruis and Larry Hampton became common place for us. Vineyards paradigm was for worship to be horizontal. John Wimber wanted people to sing directly to God not about God. The Vineyard recognized that intimacy was directly related to people singing straight to God.

There seem to be so many streams of worship these days. There is integrity music, Vineyard stuff, the Passion worship leaders, Hillsong, Desperation Band, all the worship leaders at International House of Prayer and countless others.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Third Quarter Living

This past four months has been full of much soul searching and evaluating my life which is causing some refocusing for me. I am comparing life to a football game which consists of four quarters. I am realizing that I am in the middle of the third quarter. I have moved out of half time and need to be focusing on finishing the second half well.

My health issues this year have been like my coach pulling me out of the game and sitting me down on the bench and giving me a good talking to about my approach to the game. Here is some of the instruction I have gotten.

Son, if you don't quickly begin to focus on health then your not going to be able to finish the game. Your body (the tool that it is) will not be able to withstand the rigors of the game anymore. If you don't learn to say no to greasy foods like cheese fries and chicken fried steak and cheeseburgers then your body will not perform for you anymore. So I have traded in chicken fried steak for grilled chicken salads. I have traded in tacos and fries for breakfast for a protein shake. I have traded in my cheeseburgers for turkey on wheat w honey mustard.

Son, if you don't exercise for health you can't expect your body to act healthy. The reason it is not performing is you are not exercising it right. Adrenaline can only last so long before many pieces of the body give out. So I have begun running 2 miles at least three times a week and lifting weights at least twice a week. The others days I am trying to walk as exercise.

Son, if you don't exercise your heart with the thoughts and attitudes it needs, your heart will wear out. A quaility life depends upon how your heart is. As proverbs says "Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life". More specifically you have to meditate on God's word day and night. This will direct your heart to the healthiest desires and thoughts it can have. They will be kingdom thoughts and kingdom desires. They as much as anything can bring you health. -- So I have set a goal of reading a minimum of two chapters of the word each day. And I have begun a blog on the gospel of John to keep up with some of the things I am learning and to help me focus on a specific book of the Bible.

Son, if you just live to survive, if you just live to take care of today, you will get weary quickly. You will live wanting to give up. Live with a transcendent cause. Live for something bigger than yourself. Live to leave kingdom legacies on the earth. Live to prop up other men and women and their gifts and ministries. This is a cause worth giving effort for. This is a cause worth being disciplined for because it gives glory to the giver of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ.

So I have been sidelined. I am on a blood thinner right now which slows me down whether I like it or not. Since I am a doer it has been hard to be slowed down, but good as I am learning the importance of being consistent with my coaches advice so that I can live on with the health I need to finish the full game, all four quarters, and to be able to say I ran the race well, I finished the fight and to further hear my coach say "Well done son, you listened and you learned, and you have completed the task on the earth you have been created for."

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Can we change ?

How do we change ? Modern Psychology says we gain a cognitive understanding of what is wrong and make right choices to correct the problem. In others words we get the right thought track and change our doing. I think in the church we take this tact also. We find five steps to change our habits.

I think we see a different pattern in the Word of God. It is true that we must think differently and that thinking differently we change who we are which in turn changes our actions. What is missing too often in the equation though is that the only way to change is through a relationship. It is a relationship that has the power to affect change in us. It is a relationship with a master mentor. Someone with all wisdom to help us. Our change doesn't come in our putting some new thoughts in our mind. Our change comes as we get in relationship with God himself and begin to think His thoughts. We begin to get to know Him and how He thinks and how He is. In the context of that relationship we begin to change. We begin to grow in wholeness and health in all parts of our being.

The key is to think, be, and then do in context of a relationship with God.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Update 04/01/08

This has been an interesting season in my life to say the least. I have had a serious illness that causes problems to my spleen and put me in the hospital for 10 days in December. The doctors could not find a cause for my problem and since that time I have been on a blood thinner. The blood thinner makes me tired often and quickly. During my time in the hospital which was rough both emotionally and physically the Lord has strongly had me focus more on health in my life.

In recent years I had allowed eating what I wanted and not exercising become a habit, as well as not being daily in the word. It has been impressed upon me that HEALTH, both physically and spiritually needed to become an emphasis in my life.

I began in the hospital and have since been focused on HEALTH as a goal in my life. I am trying to read at least two chapters in the Bible each day. Along with that I am studying through the Gospel of John. I started a blog to help me record what God is showing me and what I am learning in John. On the food side my diet has changed dramatically. In the three months since I have been out of the hospital I have eaten two pieces of red meat (so no hamburgers). I am eating salads frequently and fruit. I usually start the day with a power smoothie comprised of whey protein isolate and soy protein isolate, lecithin, probiotics, apple vinegar, glucosamine, msm, flax oil, safflower oil, bananas and fruit mixed in orange juice. Ummmm doesn't that sound good. It actually doesn't taste too bad and helps me get all those good items my body needs to start a day. I have had no butter in three months. I am eating whole wheat breads. I am eating non fat yogurt semi frequently. I have taken almost all fried foods out of my diet. Turkey and chicken breast are the usual meats I have.

HEALTH take more discipline but is a good thing. I've lost about 30 pounds in three months and am working out at the gym three to four times a week. I didn't realize 40 year olds could still have actual defined muscle. I try and get on the treadmill or elliptical each time out at the gym and do some weight training.

more later . . .