A different perspective

Do you leave church on Sundays feeling just as dry as when you got there? Is it just a part of your routine? Do you feel discontented and unfulfilled?

Kris Vallotton once said, "It seems that many people are struggling to find the "right" church with the "right" pastor who has the "right" preaching style."

 I can relate, as many can.

But what if church was less about what you receive and more about what you give? What if you came, not to be blessed, but to be a blessing to the people around you?

What if we came expecting God to show up, move among us, and minister through us as He wanted and not as we scripted?

This is a different point of view for the church and, I believe, one that is missing in the church's collective way of thinking.

It's not about us.

It has never been.

It's about Him.

All about Him.

Jesus.

Hmmm.

As you prepare to go to church, pray for the Holy Spirit to show up as He desires, to use you as He desires, to minister to the body of believers you worship with.

If you're going to work, still, ask the Holy Spirit to show up and lead you as He wants. It will make work pretty interesting.

If He takes you out of your comfort zone - and He will! - that's okay because you're following His lead anyway.

Hungry for God

Going to church is a given for me. If the doors open, I'm there. In one sense, it is mechanical, automatic. I go because it is an intrinsic part of my upbringing. When I was young, I had a drug problem: Mom drug me to church whenever the doors were open, rain or shine, whether I wanted to or not.

But lately, going to church seems to run in cycles. There are times I can't wait to get there. The excitement of being with others who seek Jesus is inspiring, and compels me to want the experience more.

And there are other times when it is all I can do to get out of bed. It's like church is...boring. Like a meal that looks good, but has no seasoning and no taste.

I found that I wanted to worship God for His sake alone. No format, no formula, no agenda. Just worship for worship's sake. But lately there's been something else going on as well.

The words to a Charles Wesley song came to mind:

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,

Your loosened tongues employ;

Ye blind, behold your Savior come,

And leap, ye lame, for joy.

- Charles Wesley, from "O For A Thousand Tongues"

The idea of having my tongue loosed - particularly now - is surprising, because it also drives me to a passage in the New Testament Book of Acts. In chapter 18:9-10, the Lord tells Paul

1. Do not be afraid
2. Speak and do not keep silent
3. I am with you.
4. I will keep you from harm.
5. I have many here who need to hear what you have to say.

Over 365 times in Scripture we hear "Don't be afraid" from the Lord. Here, He is telling Paul (and us) not to be to talk to people about Him and that He is with Paul (and us!). 

I must have read that passage hundreds of times and heard or spoke it hundreds more. But in the last few weeks, these verses have carried an imperative for me that I never noticed, that I never felt before. There is now a vitality and confidence that accompanies the living Word. There is a renewed and empowered Anointing and Presence that is now at work within for His own purposes. What a blessing!

May God indeed have His way and quicken you as well for His own sake.

Present Joy

 "Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials." - James 1:2

Consider it all joy? Yeah, right.

For much of my life I felt this was an impossible command to obey. I remembered some of the trials in my life and wondered how I could ever have found joy in any of them. They were burdensome, painful, and, at the time, seemed to last far longer than I could ever hope to endure.

The King is Coming

We are little more than 10 days away from Easter celebrations. In that time when we remember what Christ did for us, we must also praise the Lord for what He continually does, and what He is about to do - much sooner than a world in denial wants to even recognize:

Nothing Wasted

I loved being on Granddaddy's farm. Granny would cook on a wood oven, and there was a wood stove in the living room that heated the whole house. It was a place of great adventure and wonder.

Where are we going?

I just finished reading an interesting article about Tim Tebow's decision to cancel a scheduled appearance at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas (you can find the article here).

The face of God

Yesterday a friend's grandson celebrated his first birthday. I remember when my wife and I went to the hospital to be with the family when he was born. After we were informed of his birth, we waited until time for us to go to the nursery to see him for the first time.

I remembered back to the birth of my own son. At first he was blue, and the delivery team had to deal with those attending issues. But finally there came a time when I was able to hold him in my arms for the first time. In my mind, he was the most beautiful, the most perfect creature I had ever seen. I knew I was going to be totally preoccupied with his very existence for quite a while.

Do you remember when your first child was born? Your first grandchild? You counted all the fingers and toes to make sure the count was right. You watched everything to function properly. You probably even wanted to see which side of the family the baby resembled most. All in all, you were immediately in love with this brand new person.

This gives us a unique perspective on how God might have felt the first time He saw Adam's face.