Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I enjoy this time of the year, if for no other reason than it becomes a time of reflection of what God has accomplished in my life during the past year. For example, He brought me into leadership in my Life Bible Study aka "Sunday School" in 2 areas, Outreach: reaching out to people visiting our class for the first time,those joining our class and people's birthdays. Then there is Koinonia, helping lead and facilitate the study of God's Word and helping the discussion continue smoothly.
This New Year, am working toward goals not resolutions. Resolutions have a way of being discarded or forgotten, but goals have a way of being continuing to be accomplished throughout the year.
I pray that all my friends and family to have a time of reflection of God's work in their lives and thank Him for His abundant goodness, both the seen and unseen.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thanksgiving
Ah, the blissful time of the holidays with the rush and fuss that we seem to all go through. I like Thanksgiving, it is a good stoppage point in the year and take some time to reflect on God's blessings on me and my family,friends...during the year.
I am thankful for the friends and family that God has blessed me with, they help me,remind me of Who He is in my life on a daily basis. I think God brings and takes people in and out of our lives for a very specific reason or reasons.
I am also am thankful for the opportunities that God presents for me on a daily basis, to share him with people that either have forgotten Him or don't know Him at all. People may forget/ignore God but that doesn't mean God has forgotten them.
Thankful that I go to a great church, to serve at, help at, learn from people around me, to see what God is doing in people's lives. I have learned so much, helping lead our midweek Bible study about God, what people's ideas of what God is saying others, both to them and to me.
I am learning both from my own feelings and attitudes, of how I can choose to be thankful for the life God has given me or allow those same feelings and attitudes to rule me and possibly lead me into bitterness, as I see on a daily basis in the lives of people around me.
Thankfulness hopefully lasts longer than one day, to be lived out daily, as a gift to the Lord and a example before the world around us, who probably doesn't have the same view on life as I do.
I am thankful for the friends and family that God has blessed me with, they help me,remind me of Who He is in my life on a daily basis. I think God brings and takes people in and out of our lives for a very specific reason or reasons.
I am also am thankful for the opportunities that God presents for me on a daily basis, to share him with people that either have forgotten Him or don't know Him at all. People may forget/ignore God but that doesn't mean God has forgotten them.
Thankful that I go to a great church, to serve at, help at, learn from people around me, to see what God is doing in people's lives. I have learned so much, helping lead our midweek Bible study about God, what people's ideas of what God is saying others, both to them and to me.
I am learning both from my own feelings and attitudes, of how I can choose to be thankful for the life God has given me or allow those same feelings and attitudes to rule me and possibly lead me into bitterness, as I see on a daily basis in the lives of people around me.
Thankfulness hopefully lasts longer than one day, to be lived out daily, as a gift to the Lord and a example before the world around us, who probably doesn't have the same view on life as I do.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Waiting,some thoughts
Have been observing people and how they react to waiting. Some get angry, some are merely impatient, some have the patience to just wait.
Waiting is part of life, expect it, know you will be called to wait. Seems like alot of life is about waiting. As I am learning, what am I willing to wait for is the question. What do I consider important enough to wait on.
That raises a whole new set of questions, what do I consider important? Who do I consider important enough to wait on?
Then you add the whole "God-thing" into the equation and what He calls us to wait for and on... "I waited patiently on the Lord and He heard my cry"
Some fun ideas to think about and consider...
Waiting is part of life, expect it, know you will be called to wait. Seems like alot of life is about waiting. As I am learning, what am I willing to wait for is the question. What do I consider important enough to wait on.
That raises a whole new set of questions, what do I consider important? Who do I consider important enough to wait on?
Then you add the whole "God-thing" into the equation and what He calls us to wait for and on... "I waited patiently on the Lord and He heard my cry"
Some fun ideas to think about and consider...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Secret Circle
Hot new show, starring http://twitter.com/RealBritt_Rob http://twitter.com/1PhoebeJTonkin http://twitter.com/shelleyhennig http://twitter.com/thethomasdekker http://twitter.com/louis_hunter follows another great show: The Vampire Diary. This deals with a gorgeous girl next door: Cassie Blake, and her dealing with her mom's death and the fact which she struggles with of her and her friends being a witch.
The big picture seems to be what to do with power that could be impossible to control and whether this power is good or evil or can it be defined by such terms. And who wants to control and possibly destroy the "Secret Circle" from within and from without.
There's forces of good, ie. Diana, and a few others, some that could be evil or willing to be used by evil, such as Faye and her henchwomen.
And Charles and Faye's mom who are sinister and want to use the Circle to their ends.
We face similar struggles,minus the magic aspect, in who we are and who we serve or are used by. This struggle should be very interesting to see play out on the small screen. Take the time and watch http://www.cwtv.com/cw-video/the-secret-circle/?tab=2 the series' premiere and stay tune week to week!
The big picture seems to be what to do with power that could be impossible to control and whether this power is good or evil or can it be defined by such terms. And who wants to control and possibly destroy the "Secret Circle" from within and from without.
There's forces of good, ie. Diana, and a few others, some that could be evil or willing to be used by evil, such as Faye and her henchwomen.
And Charles and Faye's mom who are sinister and want to use the Circle to their ends.
We face similar struggles,minus the magic aspect, in who we are and who we serve or are used by. This struggle should be very interesting to see play out on the small screen. Take the time and watch http://www.cwtv.com/cw-video/the-secret-circle/?tab=2 the series' premiere and stay tune week to week!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Heart "sings"
"My heart will sing no other name, Jesus Jesus" hearing that again the other day at church got me thinking. It has been on my mind a bit lately. I think I get in trouble with my heart "singing" to something else other than God. It has been alcohol, popularity and a variety of other objects I have given myself to.
I think part of this has been reading through Hebrews for quiet time and possible use for Koinonia during fall. It is the supremacy of Christ that the writer of Hebrews extolls and challenges us the reader to truly believe. I think that what we give our "song" to defines who we believe is supreme in our life,much more clearly than our words ever could.
I am learning more and more that actions truly do speak louder than any word ever could. Mainly because I can say what other people need to hear or I think what they want to hear. But actions put a whole new meaning to those words.
Just a thought I have been thinking through and will continue to explore.
I think part of this has been reading through Hebrews for quiet time and possible use for Koinonia during fall. It is the supremacy of Christ that the writer of Hebrews extolls and challenges us the reader to truly believe. I think that what we give our "song" to defines who we believe is supreme in our life,much more clearly than our words ever could.
I am learning more and more that actions truly do speak louder than any word ever could. Mainly because I can say what other people need to hear or I think what they want to hear. But actions put a whole new meaning to those words.
Just a thought I have been thinking through and will continue to explore.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Afshin Ziafat's message
Acts 17:1-6, Eph 4:22-25, I Thess. 1:3-10.
God uses those people that are ready, willing and able to "outlive your life."
Here's how you outlive your life: 1) Have an understanding of the Gospel. People with a true understanding of the Gospel will share the "Good News." They won't need prodding or be forced to share. Having a understanding of our "enemy" before coming to Christ (Romans 5:8-10) helps us to rise up to the challenge of sharing with others, in that we understand what obstacles might be in the way of a person's belief in Who Christ is.
2) Requires receiving the Word of God, continually (Galatians 1:12.) Seeking the Word of God and relying on the words there, instead of first seeking out the advice of others. We have all we need in terms of guidance and wisdom from the Word of God, but too often we won't do the work to learn what God Word says. It's actively seeking what the Word says and often won't make sense to those around us.
3) Outliving your life requires sacrifice. Being ready to lay down our dreams and hopes for our lives, to accomplish God's will in our life (I John 2:17.) We need to be prepared to lay down our life if necessary.
4) Outliving your life requires perserverance (Philippians 1:12-13, 1:29-30) God uses our hanging on to His plan and call on our life. With a eternal perspective, then suffering=opportunity, an opportunity to advance the Gospel. God will be the One who makes best use of our perserverance to share Who He is in our life, through whatever means it takes.
5) Outliving our life requires us to be "other focussed" (I Thess. 1:11-12.) God gives us a perspective to see success as when His Word is heard, not as the world sees success. God's love will shine through us as we become concerned for other's welfare both in the present and the future.
As we try to outlive our life, God's Word is naturally advanced and goes onto impact others all around the world. It is a costly lifestyle but the eternal rewards are unimaginable.
God uses those people that are ready, willing and able to "outlive your life."
Here's how you outlive your life: 1) Have an understanding of the Gospel. People with a true understanding of the Gospel will share the "Good News." They won't need prodding or be forced to share. Having a understanding of our "enemy" before coming to Christ (Romans 5:8-10) helps us to rise up to the challenge of sharing with others, in that we understand what obstacles might be in the way of a person's belief in Who Christ is.
2) Requires receiving the Word of God, continually (Galatians 1:12.) Seeking the Word of God and relying on the words there, instead of first seeking out the advice of others. We have all we need in terms of guidance and wisdom from the Word of God, but too often we won't do the work to learn what God Word says. It's actively seeking what the Word says and often won't make sense to those around us.
3) Outliving your life requires sacrifice. Being ready to lay down our dreams and hopes for our lives, to accomplish God's will in our life (I John 2:17.) We need to be prepared to lay down our life if necessary.
4) Outliving your life requires perserverance (Philippians 1:12-13, 1:29-30) God uses our hanging on to His plan and call on our life. With a eternal perspective, then suffering=opportunity, an opportunity to advance the Gospel. God will be the One who makes best use of our perserverance to share Who He is in our life, through whatever means it takes.
5) Outliving our life requires us to be "other focussed" (I Thess. 1:11-12.) God gives us a perspective to see success as when His Word is heard, not as the world sees success. God's love will shine through us as we become concerned for other's welfare both in the present and the future.
As we try to outlive our life, God's Word is naturally advanced and goes onto impact others all around the world. It is a costly lifestyle but the eternal rewards are unimaginable.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Living the words
Had a fun and enjoyable chat last night at outreach at http://houstonsfirst.org and several thoughts immerged. The topic of the discussion was "service projects" and what different classes were doing for them. I explained what our class, Night Light, is doing, and people were interested, in hearing more about both Noah's Kitchen and our "water ministry."
From this time came a couple of thoughts came out. 1) Becoming a follower of Christ is fine. In word there is nothing wrong with that. This will "establish" a relationship with God and His Son. Going to church, going to Sunday School, having some involvement is all well and good. I was there for more years than I can count, marginal involvement as long as it didn't infringe on my life or require more than I was willing to give. I think that we as followers of Christ can drift along this way for a whole lifetime, being happy that we are in church, doing our thing. BUT
I have been learning God calls us to so much more...
2)God calls us to not only have a relationship with Him, and to call others to "come and see" the God we have a relationship with, but become involved with those who don't know God or even want to know Him. I at first thought it was purely for the good feelings produced that I got involved at a bit of a deeper level, but then realized that a peace and a sense of completeness comes along is a much larger reason calls us to involvement with a lost world. God created us to relationships both with Himself and then also with others. When we take opportunity to go and do get involved with people we begin to get back to God's original design on us and for us.
Will keep on thinking about this more and keep sharing more as I learn more, till then...
From this time came a couple of thoughts came out. 1) Becoming a follower of Christ is fine. In word there is nothing wrong with that. This will "establish" a relationship with God and His Son. Going to church, going to Sunday School, having some involvement is all well and good. I was there for more years than I can count, marginal involvement as long as it didn't infringe on my life or require more than I was willing to give. I think that we as followers of Christ can drift along this way for a whole lifetime, being happy that we are in church, doing our thing. BUT
I have been learning God calls us to so much more...
2)God calls us to not only have a relationship with Him, and to call others to "come and see" the God we have a relationship with, but become involved with those who don't know God or even want to know Him. I at first thought it was purely for the good feelings produced that I got involved at a bit of a deeper level, but then realized that a peace and a sense of completeness comes along is a much larger reason calls us to involvement with a lost world. God created us to relationships both with Himself and then also with others. When we take opportunity to go and do get involved with people we begin to get back to God's original design on us and for us.
Will keep on thinking about this more and keep sharing more as I learn more, till then...
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Scott Pollak's message at @MetroLIVE
I Timothy 6:11-16
One of our problems in our modern church is sometimes we are known for what we DON'T do. By that I mean we are known by who we don't associate with. Yet we are called also to PURSUE something also: righteousness. So don't define ourselves by what we don't do, instead be known for our pursuit of Christ! "Fight the good fight" in context means we don't see the person we are fighting as the enemy but as the goal!
"Take hold of the good faith" grab onto that which is most important and cast aside that which isn't.
"to keep the commandment without stain or reproachment UNTIL the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ"
The sole reason we will finish the race is because we have a Father to help carry us to the finish.
One of our problems in our modern church is sometimes we are known for what we DON'T do. By that I mean we are known by who we don't associate with. Yet we are called also to PURSUE something also: righteousness. So don't define ourselves by what we don't do, instead be known for our pursuit of Christ! "Fight the good fight" in context means we don't see the person we are fighting as the enemy but as the goal!
"Take hold of the good faith" grab onto that which is most important and cast aside that which isn't.
"to keep the commandment without stain or reproachment UNTIL the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ"
The sole reason we will finish the race is because we have a Father to help carry us to the finish.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Thoughts on Houston Project
Had to take a day to recover from Houston Project, Houston Project is a outreach that Houston's First Baptist Church http://houstonsfirst.org does during July, to communities around Houston. The church does vacation Bible study, women's Bible study, men's Bible study, a nursery, middle school and high school outreach along with feeding whoever shows up and feed those around the community we are in.
I worked in the food serving, preparing food up to be brought to classes and then putting the juice on the snowcones, we had a very good group working together, some very administrative types that organized us to a well-oiled machine.
Our group was assigned to food prep, but all of us volunteers got opportunities to wear lots of hats to lots of people. I for example was doorman, when I first got to the site, Kelly Village, there was myself and the two leaders, who needed to be able to set up for the night without children from neighborhood running around. During one of those times, I got opportunity to chat with a woman from community about what we are doing. She didn't understand why a church would be interested in reaching out to a community they weren't actually located in. I explained that God's love knows no bounds or locations. That we as a church were called to be the physical representation to people of His Love. She asked if it was too late to become involved and what she could do with her baby and other little one. I said we had a loving group that would enjoy taking care of her baby and we have vacation Bible study for her little boy. She asked if she needed to feed them before bringing them, but told her we have that covered also.
God has equipped us to be His hands and feet and go to reach a world who either has no clue about Who God is or an inaccurate view of Who He is. Our call is to help show the world through our loving actions a small picture of Who God is in our lives. It was enjoyable to have opportunity to share God with the community of Kelly Village.
I worked in the food serving, preparing food up to be brought to classes and then putting the juice on the snowcones, we had a very good group working together, some very administrative types that organized us to a well-oiled machine.
Our group was assigned to food prep, but all of us volunteers got opportunities to wear lots of hats to lots of people. I for example was doorman, when I first got to the site, Kelly Village, there was myself and the two leaders, who needed to be able to set up for the night without children from neighborhood running around. During one of those times, I got opportunity to chat with a woman from community about what we are doing. She didn't understand why a church would be interested in reaching out to a community they weren't actually located in. I explained that God's love knows no bounds or locations. That we as a church were called to be the physical representation to people of His Love. She asked if it was too late to become involved and what she could do with her baby and other little one. I said we had a loving group that would enjoy taking care of her baby and we have vacation Bible study for her little boy. She asked if she needed to feed them before bringing them, but told her we have that covered also.
God has equipped us to be His hands and feet and go to reach a world who either has no clue about Who God is or an inaccurate view of Who He is. Our call is to help show the world through our loving actions a small picture of Who God is in our lives. It was enjoyable to have opportunity to share God with the community of Kelly Village.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Jerrell Altic's message at MetroLive
Acts 6:1-15, 7:1. Stephen models "Outlive Your Life" through this way: 1) Would the gospel of God go forward if you died?!? Or do fears of insecurities;of man, of loss of prestige...hold it back? We should expect those in authority to be in opposition to God's message through our lives. We want to give up but our call is to hang on just a little longer. Alot of times God advances the gospel through intense persecution. "Obedience opens eyes." Equally disobedience closes eyes. Are we " Stephen-available to be used or are we there like Saul giving approval to people's death around us?!?"
2) The world around us only worships that which it can see. We like Stephen need to worship the unseen to eventually see Christ for Who He truly is.
Our call is lived out by being there to plant, to water and sometimes harvest the people in which the gospel has been planted in. Our call is to be bold/courageous and pray/evangelize. If we don't raise the level of obedience (fill in the blank) then we will not be available to help those coming up behind us! Let's raise the level of obedience 1 level tonight!
2) The world around us only worships that which it can see. We like Stephen need to worship the unseen to eventually see Christ for Who He truly is.
Our call is lived out by being there to plant, to water and sometimes harvest the people in which the gospel has been planted in. Our call is to be bold/courageous and pray/evangelize. If we don't raise the level of obedience (fill in the blank) then we will not be available to help those coming up behind us! Let's raise the level of obedience 1 level tonight!
Ben Stuart's 2nd MetroLive talk
I Peter 1:3. We are people of Jesus but we need to go beyond that in we are called to be the people of resurrection. The world is going "Ok, but what is that to us?!?" Resurrection should be life-changing but the question is it to us? Our present and future should be different because Jesus' action in the past. Our present and future is affected by our view of death but Christ's substitute for us, secured our future hope. Christ's triumph over death gives us victory over our "little deaths" we face daily.
Christ's death establishes purpose: Share Christ's peace in a world that desperately needs it. "Death loses it eternalness when Christ makes His sacrifice for us"
We are born-again to show God and His Glory to a world that has been blinded and bored. What a sad commentary. Christ is our "Living Hope" waiting to be shared with a desperate and seeking world. This is a despite the world, ie. Stephen Hawking saying it's crazy and pathetic to "make-believe" that Christ's story is anything other than make-believe.
The world can explain Christ away but it cannot explain away His followers! So step up and answer the call/questions that the world presents...
Christ's death establishes purpose: Share Christ's peace in a world that desperately needs it. "Death loses it eternalness when Christ makes His sacrifice for us"
We are born-again to show God and His Glory to a world that has been blinded and bored. What a sad commentary. Christ is our "Living Hope" waiting to be shared with a desperate and seeking world. This is a despite the world, ie. Stephen Hawking saying it's crazy and pathetic to "make-believe" that Christ's story is anything other than make-believe.
The world can explain Christ away but it cannot explain away His followers! So step up and answer the call/questions that the world presents...
Friday, June 3, 2011
Notes from MetroLive:Ben Stuart
Some of my notes from last night's opening night of MetroLive 2011, from Ben Stuart, the director of BreakAway Ministries, up at College Station. MetroLive is held at my homechurch, Houston's First Baptist Church at 7:30pm.
Ben Stuart spoke on John 21, which deals with, Peter going to Galilee to return to fishing and Jesus speaking to him from the shore after a fruitless night of fishing. Ben puts out the question for us to consider: "How does God view us in our time of failure?"
The answer is that God views with love,care and concern. He seeks to restore us, to make us useful to Him.
To do this He brings us, as He did Peter, to the place of our call that God places on our life. In Peter's case, Christ recreates Peter's first encounter with Christ, after a fruitless night of fishing, Christ calls out to Peter from the shoreline, and asks a question, He fully knows the answer to, "Children, have you caught any fish?" Then Christ says "Why don't you try fishing from the rightside?" To which the disciples do and begin to catch fish aplenty. They realize it's Jesus and Peter dives into the water and swims ashore to meet the Lord. Jesus then provides breakfast for disciples.
Jesus then knowing the poison of Peter's failure which if left unchecked and unaddressed could potentially kill Peter's ministry for Christ, so Christ draws out the venom of failure by recreating the scene of Peter's denial. And proceeds to confront the failure head on by asking Peter about his devotion to Christ and allows Peter to see how his power and desire to follow Christ wasn't enough, Peter would need Christ's strength to accomplish all Christ had for him.
Christ shows it's not just about being a "fisher of men" but to go beyond that and be ready to feed His sheep.
We need to seek out Christ and ask for His help both to remember our call and when necessary to go and return to scene of our greatest failure and seek Christ's help in drawing out venom of the failure, so we may be fully ready to be used by Christ.
Ben Stuart spoke on John 21, which deals with, Peter going to Galilee to return to fishing and Jesus speaking to him from the shore after a fruitless night of fishing. Ben puts out the question for us to consider: "How does God view us in our time of failure?"
The answer is that God views with love,care and concern. He seeks to restore us, to make us useful to Him.
To do this He brings us, as He did Peter, to the place of our call that God places on our life. In Peter's case, Christ recreates Peter's first encounter with Christ, after a fruitless night of fishing, Christ calls out to Peter from the shoreline, and asks a question, He fully knows the answer to, "Children, have you caught any fish?" Then Christ says "Why don't you try fishing from the rightside?" To which the disciples do and begin to catch fish aplenty. They realize it's Jesus and Peter dives into the water and swims ashore to meet the Lord. Jesus then provides breakfast for disciples.
Jesus then knowing the poison of Peter's failure which if left unchecked and unaddressed could potentially kill Peter's ministry for Christ, so Christ draws out the venom of failure by recreating the scene of Peter's denial. And proceeds to confront the failure head on by asking Peter about his devotion to Christ and allows Peter to see how his power and desire to follow Christ wasn't enough, Peter would need Christ's strength to accomplish all Christ had for him.
Christ shows it's not just about being a "fisher of men" but to go beyond that and be ready to feed His sheep.
We need to seek out Christ and ask for His help both to remember our call and when necessary to go and return to scene of our greatest failure and seek Christ's help in drawing out venom of the failure, so we may be fully ready to be used by Christ.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Message at @houstonsfirst by @afshinziafat
This is www.twitter.com/afshinziafat message to my church www.twitter.com/houstonsfirst last night,coming from Philippians 1:20-21, 3:2-9 and few other sections.
The overarching principal we need to understand for this and any message about the gospel or Christ is this: Bible teaches that life is only found in Christ. In otherwords, life cannot truly be found apart from Him and just doesn't make sense.
Paul's singular passion is that Christ would be honored in his life and body. Fully and in such a way that Paul would be unashamed of his message to the world, free or in chains, let Christ's will be done in all circumstances.
Paul then helps redefine the definitions of life and death, by completely and totally turn them on their heads. Life becomes completely immersion in Christ and His being both, physically and spiritually. We are custom-made for Christ and His use of us as His bond-servants, until we fully understand that, then life cannot fully be experienced.
This allows Paul to reassess his life and what he had been striving for and hoping to achieve, as a Pharisee, a Jew...Paul realizes that all his "good works" to fulfill the law and all he put his trust in and believed in, were not assets as he once believed but in actuality losses.
"Religion is man's way to God. Jesus is God's way to man."
Paul not only counts everything as loss but then actually does lose everything that he had held dear, prior to his conversion to being led by Christ's mindset, areas such as: freedom, his standing as a religious leader all were stripped from him as he put self aside and picked up Christ'sview of life. A full understanding of relationship with Christ and His call on our life equals out to us putting aside all the trappings that the world offers as a substitute to Christ. Sin if left unchecked will lead us down the treacherous slope of Entitlement and conceit: which is empty or vain glory.
Grace leads us to put down self and pick up Christ's view of life and put others in front of ourselves.
Paul then redefines death as gain, since death leads Christ's followers to His side for all eternity. So when your life is all about Christ, death is sought after and prized since it brings us to Christ, but if our life is about something else, the loss becomes an even greater loss that is uncomprehensible. Only in Christ, does death go from the enemy of life to a sought-after goal of life!
Our call is to cling to Christ and all He is and nothing else. Thus allowing us to live out what should be our singular passion: live out a self-less life that advances Christ and knowledge of Who He is. The grace from a Christ-led life should cause us to constantly set aside self and reach out to the world and help meet their needs with the Love of Christ.
The overarching principal we need to understand for this and any message about the gospel or Christ is this: Bible teaches that life is only found in Christ. In otherwords, life cannot truly be found apart from Him and just doesn't make sense.
Paul's singular passion is that Christ would be honored in his life and body. Fully and in such a way that Paul would be unashamed of his message to the world, free or in chains, let Christ's will be done in all circumstances.
Paul then helps redefine the definitions of life and death, by completely and totally turn them on their heads. Life becomes completely immersion in Christ and His being both, physically and spiritually. We are custom-made for Christ and His use of us as His bond-servants, until we fully understand that, then life cannot fully be experienced.
This allows Paul to reassess his life and what he had been striving for and hoping to achieve, as a Pharisee, a Jew...Paul realizes that all his "good works" to fulfill the law and all he put his trust in and believed in, were not assets as he once believed but in actuality losses.
"Religion is man's way to God. Jesus is God's way to man."
Paul not only counts everything as loss but then actually does lose everything that he had held dear, prior to his conversion to being led by Christ's mindset, areas such as: freedom, his standing as a religious leader all were stripped from him as he put self aside and picked up Christ'sview of life. A full understanding of relationship with Christ and His call on our life equals out to us putting aside all the trappings that the world offers as a substitute to Christ. Sin if left unchecked will lead us down the treacherous slope of Entitlement and conceit: which is empty or vain glory.
Grace leads us to put down self and pick up Christ's view of life and put others in front of ourselves.
Paul then redefines death as gain, since death leads Christ's followers to His side for all eternity. So when your life is all about Christ, death is sought after and prized since it brings us to Christ, but if our life is about something else, the loss becomes an even greater loss that is uncomprehensible. Only in Christ, does death go from the enemy of life to a sought-after goal of life!
Our call is to cling to Christ and all He is and nothing else. Thus allowing us to live out what should be our singular passion: live out a self-less life that advances Christ and knowledge of Who He is. The grace from a Christ-led life should cause us to constantly set aside self and reach out to the world and help meet their needs with the Love of Christ.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Stronger,seems to be based in/on Book of Romans
Anyone who knows me knows I love the song #Stronger by www.twitter.com/hillsong and feel that it has the book of Romans woven all through it and since that is the book I'm helping lead,then I am relating to it even more than usual, first noticed the song, primarily because prior to leading study, I was doing quiet time on the book,not knowing I would be asked to lead a study on it for my sunday school class: http://nightlightbiblestudy.blinkweb.com which you all can check out if you are in Houston or planning on being here anytime soon.
Meanwhile back at the ranch,haha,love working in ridiculous and irrelevant phrases into a blog or conversation! I fell in love with "Stronger" and the words resonated with my soul "You are stronger,You are stronger, Sin is broken, You have saved me, It is written, Christ is risen. Jesus, You are Lord of All."
Think that chorus resonated with me so strongly, since I daily struggle with feeling like much I have done in my extremely checkered past and how it affects my future. I have made a vow to make as big a difference for God equal to or exceeding how much I'm well-known in bars,clubs and shady dives across the city of Houston, and that is a HUGE task! I gave myself over to a life fairly well separated from God and His influence on my life for such a long time.
" so let Your Name be lifted higher,be lifted higher,be lifted higher,be lifter higher." it is Jesus' name that we are called to lift up,not our own. I forgot that for such a long time and allowed my name, my reputation as the "party/good time guy" become what was important and what mattered most to me!
"There is Love that came for us, humbled to the sinner's cross,broke my shame and sinfulness, rose again victorious." Jesus came and is here for you and I anytime we ask. Think on that,let it percolate and simmer in your soul and being. It is NEVER about us and what we bring to the relationship with our Savior. It is Christ that is breaking my shame and sinfulness. The One paying the price set down for us is not us, but only the Perfect and Sinless Christ. So ends my sermon for the day!
Meanwhile back at the ranch,haha,love working in ridiculous and irrelevant phrases into a blog or conversation! I fell in love with "Stronger" and the words resonated with my soul "You are stronger,You are stronger, Sin is broken, You have saved me, It is written, Christ is risen. Jesus, You are Lord of All."
Think that chorus resonated with me so strongly, since I daily struggle with feeling like much I have done in my extremely checkered past and how it affects my future. I have made a vow to make as big a difference for God equal to or exceeding how much I'm well-known in bars,clubs and shady dives across the city of Houston, and that is a HUGE task! I gave myself over to a life fairly well separated from God and His influence on my life for such a long time.
" so let Your Name be lifted higher,be lifted higher,be lifted higher,be lifter higher." it is Jesus' name that we are called to lift up,not our own. I forgot that for such a long time and allowed my name, my reputation as the "party/good time guy" become what was important and what mattered most to me!
"There is Love that came for us, humbled to the sinner's cross,broke my shame and sinfulness, rose again victorious." Jesus came and is here for you and I anytime we ask. Think on that,let it percolate and simmer in your soul and being. It is NEVER about us and what we bring to the relationship with our Savior. It is Christ that is breaking my shame and sinfulness. The One paying the price set down for us is not us, but only the Perfect and Sinless Christ. So ends my sermon for the day!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Feel disenfranchised
The last month or so, just have felt completely and totally isolated from my fellow followers of Christ, been some bright moments in there but they seem to be few and far between. I have come to completely dread walking into church service and have gotten to the point that I am taking an indefinite time off of church and sunday school, will fulfill my time at midweek to continue lead and facilitate but nothing else.
I also have decided as of right now, I am only going to be "just friends" with people and nothing more. Period, end of story. Any greater commitment seems to lead to disappontment.
It seems like and probably is, a time of testing and trial for my faith and Who I put my faith in. Have heard barely audible whispers on both side of me, from God and the enemy, one telling me not to put my dependence on people within my sunday school class but to depend on Him for my needs and the other whispering that the class will inevitably let me down and not to take time to invest myself.
Yes, I have gone from positive about life and people, to pretty much negative but as said before I don't always acknowledge my problems or allow people to see I'm struggling.
I also have decided as of right now, I am only going to be "just friends" with people and nothing more. Period, end of story. Any greater commitment seems to lead to disappontment.
It seems like and probably is, a time of testing and trial for my faith and Who I put my faith in. Have heard barely audible whispers on both side of me, from God and the enemy, one telling me not to put my dependence on people within my sunday school class but to depend on Him for my needs and the other whispering that the class will inevitably let me down and not to take time to invest myself.
Yes, I have gone from positive about life and people, to pretty much negative but as said before I don't always acknowledge my problems or allow people to see I'm struggling.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Church and how relevant is it to me right this moment?!?
I am writing this, knowing fully well that it is going to touch off firestorms in my church: www.houstonsfirst.org and in my sunday school: "Night Light" but at this point I really don't care! This is a dangerous place for myself and the church to be! I say this because it means church is not doing a very good job connecting with people, not just myself and for myself, I'm not allowing myself to connect back and be vulnerable or let people know what's going on.
I'm angry and disappointed and this spells trouble for church since I'm extremely well-connected within social media, unlike say other people who have voiced dissatisfaction and had nowhere to go with it, I do have a place to go with it and am never afraid to voice it!
This anger stems from a few incidents that have occurred witin last month or so. First off, happened in a church service, was singing and praising the Lord and evidently was too loud for people around me. A couple said, "let's move, this guy is a bit too loud for us" and said it in a stage whisper, meaning for me to hear it. Then a couple of people from my sunday school class said same thing and moved away. My first reaction was to think but luckily not say, "don't just move sections,move to another church,another state, heck just move away!!!"
Then a guy who has visited our class a few times, evidently went to one of our out of class events, was hurting and needed help, but only one who was available to chat with him was a girl from our class and there is a strict, no compromise rule that to "counsel" a person you absolutely and totally must be of the same sex as person you are counseling! I understand the "spirit" of the law, notice I said law, returning us to the "hollowed antiquity" of the law, but I don't see how it proclaims Christ and His love for people, if we won't allow the person available at the moment to help the person in need! Then to top of the whole situation, this gentleman goes to staff member as suggested and is rebuffed and told to go "serve" someone and not be so focussed on himself and his problems, despite the fact this guy has a chemical imbalance going on in his body, that he is not used to. The secretary for the staff member told this gentleman that people don't just get access to staff and that he needed to go, he then tries to send email and receives that rebuff and nothing else. Now I could completely and totally throw this staff member under the bus, but will show compassion and grace to him!
So when I say I will walk away from this church, I mean it. I could not have said that as recently as 6 months ago,but now God has worked on me and my dependence on church to meet my needs instead of God and am fully and totally cured of that after these recent bad church experiences, thank you very much God! That is where I am with the relevance of church in my life and the people around me, it's just not there!!!
I'm angry and disappointed and this spells trouble for church since I'm extremely well-connected within social media, unlike say other people who have voiced dissatisfaction and had nowhere to go with it, I do have a place to go with it and am never afraid to voice it!
This anger stems from a few incidents that have occurred witin last month or so. First off, happened in a church service, was singing and praising the Lord and evidently was too loud for people around me. A couple said, "let's move, this guy is a bit too loud for us" and said it in a stage whisper, meaning for me to hear it. Then a couple of people from my sunday school class said same thing and moved away. My first reaction was to think but luckily not say, "don't just move sections,move to another church,another state, heck just move away!!!"
Then a guy who has visited our class a few times, evidently went to one of our out of class events, was hurting and needed help, but only one who was available to chat with him was a girl from our class and there is a strict, no compromise rule that to "counsel" a person you absolutely and totally must be of the same sex as person you are counseling! I understand the "spirit" of the law, notice I said law, returning us to the "hollowed antiquity" of the law, but I don't see how it proclaims Christ and His love for people, if we won't allow the person available at the moment to help the person in need! Then to top of the whole situation, this gentleman goes to staff member as suggested and is rebuffed and told to go "serve" someone and not be so focussed on himself and his problems, despite the fact this guy has a chemical imbalance going on in his body, that he is not used to. The secretary for the staff member told this gentleman that people don't just get access to staff and that he needed to go, he then tries to send email and receives that rebuff and nothing else. Now I could completely and totally throw this staff member under the bus, but will show compassion and grace to him!
So when I say I will walk away from this church, I mean it. I could not have said that as recently as 6 months ago,but now God has worked on me and my dependence on church to meet my needs instead of God and am fully and totally cured of that after these recent bad church experiences, thank you very much God! That is where I am with the relevance of church in my life and the people around me, it's just not there!!!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
New yr,new challenges
I have been helping lead/facilitate a mid-week Bible Study on book of Romans, as part of my sunday school aka sunday night Bible study, but I like and always will like sunday school better, conjures up pleasant memories, whereas sunday night Bible study, conjures...nothing,but I digress, wow, big words are flowing,haha, sorry, as you can see I write EXACTLY as I speak, for better or as most people will say, for worse,lol.
I help lead a midweek study for: www.houstonsfirst.org and it has been challenging, exciting,frustrating and a whole slew of other thoughts and images all at the same time, frustrating because I sometimes have thoughts but only incomplete thoughts that sound good in my mind, but are confusing to say the least when I start sharing them out loud. But, exciting and other words when I think I get to share God and His Word with fellow fully devoted followers of Christ.
I continue to develop a friendship with my friend, Jessica, she continues to be the vessal that God uses to teach me thoughts he probably has wanted me to know for a long time, but it takes a special and excessively wonderful woman to help me understand what God has in mind for me to apply in my life and what she has learned about our Lord. If I haven't mentioned it, may I publically thank God for bringing her into my life.
Also I have become OBSESSED with the song: #Sing by My Chemical Romance, when I saw it done on #Glee by cast, sure I had heard the song before but really hadn't paid attention to words or music before and realized that it is just an incredibly powerful song full of well-thoughtout lyrics. Video makes you think to, so I recommend it to listen to and see the vid.
I help lead a midweek study for: www.houstonsfirst.org and it has been challenging, exciting,frustrating and a whole slew of other thoughts and images all at the same time, frustrating because I sometimes have thoughts but only incomplete thoughts that sound good in my mind, but are confusing to say the least when I start sharing them out loud. But, exciting and other words when I think I get to share God and His Word with fellow fully devoted followers of Christ.
I continue to develop a friendship with my friend, Jessica, she continues to be the vessal that God uses to teach me thoughts he probably has wanted me to know for a long time, but it takes a special and excessively wonderful woman to help me understand what God has in mind for me to apply in my life and what she has learned about our Lord. If I haven't mentioned it, may I publically thank God for bringing her into my life.
Also I have become OBSESSED with the song: #Sing by My Chemical Romance, when I saw it done on #Glee by cast, sure I had heard the song before but really hadn't paid attention to words or music before and realized that it is just an incredibly powerful song full of well-thoughtout lyrics. Video makes you think to, so I recommend it to listen to and see the vid.
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