Mark 3 and peace

First some quick notes about Mark 3:

•  Vs. 1-3 Religious people are always looking for you you to break the rules and usually tend to be more consumed with the rules than with people actually being touched. is being a christ follower not about changing and impacting lives? that is way more important that a lot of these man made sins we have created that God does not even care about. NOW, sin is wrong so don’t do what HE says not to do…
• Jesus avoided public flattery from the “evil spirits.” “…he shut them up forbidding them to identify him in public.” This is how you start getting pride in your life.
• Jesus choose 12 people and did the following: 1. he spent time with them. (training, preparing, pouring into them) 2. he sent them out and gave them authority (it was not about holding them back because of what they could do for Him, he knew the importance of sending them OUT to achieve the ultimate goal)

I was also reading today about how when the women came to touch the hem of Jesus garment, she was looking for something to happen. Yes, she was healed but more importantly, she was sent out in peace. Jesus said “Shalom” a hebrew word that when actually translated means “to go in peace”. So many times in our life we feel peace is the absence of drama. For me, I LIVE for peace. I feel so often there is so little peace in my life. It is how I am wired. It is part of my struggle. when I was reading that real meaning of SHALOM is the “presence of the goodness of God. It is the presence of wholeness and completeness.” That rocks my sock. I need His presence EVERYWHERE I am, in all I go through. I need his wholeness and completeness. today…Shalom to my peeps. 

The Power of Reality

An amazing thing has happened. In allowing myself to be more real, more transparent, and more vulnerable, I have allowed God to create an atmosphere where people can grow. Understand I take NO credit for this. Vulnerability is a weakness not a strength in my life. Being real is hard for me to do. I am an introvert. I am someone who internalizes everything. In fact, I tend to allow for my issues to be worked out inside usually before I ever even alert someone there is an issue. In the past by the time someone found out I had a problem, it was already fixed. So to say that being vulnerable or authentic or real or whatever you want to call it is comfortable or easy for me would be a big joke. I  had a breakthrough in my life about 2 weeks ago, and an experience a week after that that was like taking spiritual human growth hormones. When that happened I realized I had to start being completely real. This revelation has opened up a side of me that was never before accessed. A few things have happened since then: 

• I have a new accountability in my life to keep it real. Jackie (who is now blogging) has really started calling me out on being real. Part of this is probably what prevented me from being real in the past. However, I have learned that an uncomfortable real is better than a comfortable plastic. 
• Reality has caused me to be uncomfortable and has caused others around me to be uncomfortable. I think this is kind of good though. Growth causes you to be uncomfortable and thus may challenge your “relationships” and the comfort of people around you. 
• Reality has caused me to face and confront some things in my life. A few of these things are pride, insecurity, a man pleasing spirit, the desire to be liked at any cost, etc….just to be real. 
• Reality has created a buzz in my life. I have had more comments on this blog about the stuff I have written from my heart in the past few weeks than anything that I have ever written before. I get at least 1 email a day where a person is telling me God has used the mess and confusion and broken places of my life to minister to them. I have even had people walk up to me and tell me…man your blog is helping me so much. Is that not what life is about? Life is about helping people get better….right? It is so amazingly funny to me that we continue to all live a life full of masks and mirrors and do not allow for our things to be the medicine that heals a hurting world. I remember years ago talking with my friend, Jason, and he would recite story after story about how brokenness was the doorway to breakthrough in his life. How the best songs he would write would come from a broken place. How the presence of God could show up the strongest in his brokenness because when he was broken he could not be proud. AMAZING.

So here is the deal. I am doing my best to be real and to be the best I can be. I can not promise I am going to always live up to the standard that I am trying to set in my life. I am human not divine. I need grace and mercy. I know God is doing a lot in my life right now. He is moving.  It is probably going to help some people, hurt others, confuse some, including me, and ultimately force me into my purpose.  As I stated a few days ago, I am addicted to God’s presence. I fall out of it sometimes and fight like heck to say in it as much as possible. I am human. I need grace and mercy. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I have a new rhythm…its an unforced rhythm of Grace. 

ask and you shall receive

The bible says ask and you shall receive. I am living proof. Over the course of the past week I have been being stretched on relationships and authenticity. I have posted some things that I have learned and said repeatedly I want to know more, learn more, be stretched. Yesterday these two subjects collided like never before in my life. Imagine what happens when you are driving down the interstate and you hit a love bug. That is what happened to me yesterday. 

The relationship portion was the lead in to the authenticity aspect. I friend of mine called me on the phone and said he needed to speak with me. I met him and he sat me down and said some amazing hard things to me. He called me out on so many levels. He challenged me on so many issues in my life. He even went as far as to tell me about issues I have dealt with for YEARS that most people have NO clue about. God had to tell him about the stuff he spoke to me about because there is no other way he could have had a clue about some of the things we talked about. In addition to being amazingly hard on me, he was also very encouraging. He told me what God had told him about my future. About what God has planned for my life and about where my “Destiny Road” leads. Destiny Road will be another post for sure (thanks KiKi).

The authenticity portion of this post comes in my response. I had to choose sitting there getting kicked in the teeth if I was going to allow myself to be real and deal with these issues or if I was going to embrace the mask that would have been a MUCH easier way out. I do not write this to boast of my authentic ways. I am striving to find authenticity every day. The truth is I am a skeptical, cynical, prideful, hypocritical person who is just trying to figure it all out. I write this to encourage you to be real even when it hurts. I explained to my friend where in our conversation he was nailing me. I accepted his wisdom and guidance on some issues. I incorporated change in my life. In addition allowed myself to start confronting some things in my life that are holding me back from achieving all God has for me.  Now in the oxymoron of all oxymoron’s I don’t feel it is appropriate to lay out all these issues on the freaking internet. Im just not ready to be THAT real. Thats just not how I roll. I have spoke with some people and have started the process of recovery for myself. I am blessed with some great relationship and some great people who are willing to work to help me achieve all God has for my life. 

Be real. Be honest. Don’t buy into the norm. Don’t allow yourself to be manipulated. Sometimes life is going to hurt. Sometimes you will encounter emotions you have never felt, and it will suck, but it is for your betterment. Be brave. There is a road that will take you to places you could never travel on your own. The toll to travel this road is not cheap but the ride will change your life. 

Camp Meeting 2

The second night of camp meeting was by far and away my favorite night. I am driven by a sermon that provides me the ability to take some action points away with me. It is important to me to be able to get better in life. Hype does not play big for me. Now, that is not saying that it is for everyone, or that if you like a more “charged” atmosphere that it is any less deep. Just of me, for my style, I know what I dig. Gary Oliver was articulate, passionate, and real. He shared from his hurt. He articulated his pain, his revelation, and the processes in his life. I was moved by his wisdom and by his ability to connect as a communicator. What was really cool was even though he lost his luggage, he got up to speak right when he walked in the door, an hour late, and he was wearing jeans and a shirt as opposed to the suits that everyone else had on, he just got up and did what he did. Here are some thoughts from his sermon. 

•  Peoples lives have a central theme, given by god, that they always come back too. Your life will always revert back to that theme, it is in your DNA.
• Tabernacle was built around the altar like our lives should be built around God.
• East is symbolic of fresh and rising
• Tabernacle had one door to limit access. We have to limit access to our life. 
• Gen. 1:26 – We rule over the fish (emotions), birds (thoughts), cattle (substinance), creeping things (demons/spirits)
• God is 3 things: spirit, love, and life
• we are created in his image, spirit , love, and life
• we where created to rule and not to ruled. we can not allow people and circumstances to control us. 
• control by people is witchcraft. no one should control you.
• anything that you allow to be over you, you are in worship to…
• get your emotions in control
• control your thoughts
• as a m an thinks, so is he
• get hold of where God is trying to take you
• learn to take over
• strong holds keep you in not down. 
• 3 things paul says can keep you in bondage: vain imaginations, high and lofty things that lift themselves up against the knowledge you know of God to be and NOT taking every thought captive to the lordship of christ. 
• blessings are not things. things are byproducts of a blessed life. 
• blessings are things spoken…say what you heard so you can see what you said. 
• you would be amazed at what you could do if you would get control in your life
• rule over the earth starts with rule over you
• you never know a sacrifice of praise until you give up something you love.

This service will create several blogs for my life. i learned so much through this revelation and through the authenticity that Gary Oliver was willing to allow himself to have.

Gary Oliver – Worship & Convo…

I had the opportunity to sit and listen to Tim Storey basically interview Gary Oliver over the course of several hours. FIRST, Tim needs a freaking talk show. That guy controlled the conversation by saying VERY VERY little. He would as great questions, on the fly, and really created an amazing atmosphere over dinner. As background, Tim and Gary have been friends for years, they both came to speak @ our camp meeting event, and I had the honor to sit down and listen to them talk after service one evening. I will blog in a few on the Tim stuff from this weekend, but first are some notes from conversations with  Gary: 

•  Q: Where is worship headed? A: Simplicity. Taking it back to where people sing again. Still produced but not performance. 
• The more you know about who you are the less you should think of yourself. The humble people are the people who know who they are and because they do, they are forced to be humble because of the reality of who they are. 
• Poor – the definition if you break it down, can be translated as the lack of desire to work.

 

New Worship Artist

Another late night…another diamond in the rough. Fresh from Australia, welcome Brooke Fraser to your ipod kids. Melodic album full of ballads and vibe. Albertine, the title track, is an tribute to the artists time in Africa. Check the video here. If you like “Starbucks Music” and worship, you will enjoy Brooke’s new album. I have not heard the first record, but plan on finding that today…Great Brooke interview here: Part 1 & Part 2. Some of you may recognize her amazing voice from the new Hillsong United album on the song Lead Me To The Cross & Hosanna. 

“Learn The Unforced Rhythms of Grace”

In Matthew 11 Jesus is talking. 2 things rocked my world about what he said:

1.  In talking about how his father had sent him to work and do some things on the earth: “This is a unique father-son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.” How can we do anything for the father if we are not intimate with him. You gain knowledge about someone by spending time with them. Without the intimacy of God, you can never assume his “ways”. Without intimacy with God you will never be able to achieve the plans and operations he has for you. So how do you get intimate with God? read his word. Study him. talk to him. live with him. commune with him. let him lead. be quiet and hear from him.
2. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch now how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – This is the Jesus style. Hang out with him. Learn his ways. See how he does what he does. I did not know this verse even existed when I started my journey through the gospels to see how Jesus did life. I want to do life like he does. Also, “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace”…that is what I live for. Rhythm is SO important. You have to have rhythm in your life. Life is full of rhythms. I want the rhythms of Grace in my life. I want to feel, see, and share those rhythms. WHen your life is in rhythm, things flow, bounce, roll…

Find your rhythm today…

Yahweh

 This morning I was driving to work. It was an awesome morning. Not to hot, nice breeze, windows down, sunroof open, music loud…life was good. I was praying and this song came on and it blew me away how the words effected my life. I am a big big big U2 fan. God started to really speak to me about some things in my life via this song. Here are the lyrics, I hope them impact you the same way they impacted me this morning:

 YAHWEH

Take these shoesClick clacking down some dead end streetTake these shoesAnd make them fitTake this shirtPolyester white trash made in nowhereTake this shirtAnd make it clean, cleanTake this soulStranded in some skin and bonesTake this soulAnd make it singYahweh, YahwehAlways pain before a child is bornYahweh, YahwehStill I’m waiting for the dawnTake these handsTeach them what to carryTake these handsDon’t make a fist noTake this mouthSo quick to criticiseTake this mouthGive it a kissYahweh, YahwehAlways pain before a child is bornYahweh, YahwehStill I’m waiting for the dawnStill waiting for the dawn, the sun is coming upThe sun is coming up on the oceanThis love is like a drop in the oceanThis love is like a drop in the oceanYahweh, YahwehAlways pain before a child is bornYahweh, tell me nowWhy the dark before the dawn?Take this cityA city should be shining on a hillTake this cityIf it be your willWhat no man can own, no man can takeTake this heartTake this heartTake this heartAnd make it breath

 Now U2 are not the American Christian rule following type, but if you can not see a call from God in this song, you may have your head buried in the sand a little bit. Live your life better today.

 

 

Become What You Believe

Last night was an amazing service at Calvary. I have to be honest, sometimes it is easy to fall into the trap of “doing” church. I go to a lot of services and sometimes I have to remind myself that I am not there just to help others experience God, but I can experience Him too. Great stuff.This morning I was reading Matthew 9 and a few amazing things jumped out to me. The most powerful thing though was this…in verse 29 Jesus says: “Become what you believe” . Now that is some pressure. It is SO easy to say what we believe, but to change our DNA and become what we believe is a small statement with a VERY tall order. I have so many freaking inconsistencies in my life. I know God is a God of grace, but I have to find a way to be more consistent. I have to press each day to become what I believe…are you what you believe?2 other things about chapter 9 that I love:

1.  Jesus was impressed by the people who looked for him, worked to get to him, and believed they would leave different than they arrived. 2 amazing things about this are: how hard am I seeking him? and if I am attempting to live a “Jesus Style” life, are people better off after they have met me? am I making a difference in anyones life?
2. Jesus hung out with “disreputable characters”. Jesus never surrounded himself with Christians and lived in a Christian bubble. He also said in vs 12: “Who needs a doctor, the healthy or the sick?” and in vs 13 “I am after mercy not religion” We get so caught up living in our little Christian bubbles with our Jesus forcefields up, shunning the very people that need us to love them. Loving sinners is more than a prayer on Sunday morning. Jesus was eating with them, he was hanging out in their lives attempting to make them BETTER! 

Have a great day…BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE

On The Radar

OKAY! if you like worship music and thick rich voices, then ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Andrew Phillip. I have not even digested the entire album, but all I have heard I am loving. Traces of Upton and 5 for Fighting. Piano driven vocal heavy and very nice. Currently Andrew is not signed to a label. I believe Gotee was very interested for a while. I probably lean on the side of being an Integrity evangelist, however, for this style of music, there is really no place like the big “I”.