Pride and Other G's

“I am the Lord your God… you shall have no other gods before me.”(Dt. 5:6,7) I always thought that would be the easiest commandment to follow. Because in my fourth grade Catholic school mind I believed there was only one God the creator of heaven and earth, creator of all things seen and unseen. Yep I believed that with all my heart. Only one God, check, yep I got that one. What amazes me most is that my fourth grade Catholic school mind followed me long into adulthood and long into my “born again” mind. That’s when Jesus started working on my heart and showing me all the other gods I need to get out of my life to follow the one true God. Looking back on my life to when I was “unsaved” idols and other gods were easy to spot.

Here is the challenge, here is the BIG REVELATION. As a Christian my small “g” god was myself. Every time I was angry at God because things didn’t happen the way I expected them to happen I was putting myself in the role of God. Every time I  followed after my “own thing” while Jesus was saying "follow me." I put myself in the place of God. Every time I said,” I did what I was supposed to do. Why hasn’t God answered my prayers?” Every time I wanted my will to be done and didn’t consider,” Father thy will be done.” I put myself in the place of God.

Here is the root of the problem. PRIDE, it is ugly, haughty, deceitful and life crippling. Proverbs 16:8”Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” So how to battle this foe? First realize pride is a problem in everyone. Second pray and third get perspective. My personal place to get some perspective is in the book of Job Chapter 38 starting at verse 4 when God answers Job out of the whirlwind. Keep in mind that God’s monologue to Job last for Three Chapters. Read this and you will be humbled, I have no doubt.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
⁵ Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶ On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷ when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?... (Job 38:4-7...)

Somthing New

April has been a month for starting new things. It has always been this way with me. I have no idea why it just happens to be that way. Maybe it’s because so many life changing events have happened around this time or it’s a desire for newness needs to be answered. Maybe it’s by God’s design that as nature wakes up so are we. Regardless this April has been no different. My wife and I had started a new business venture together. It’s a small home based business. It is not anything elaborate just a little something to supplement our income and ease our burdens down the line.

 The other thing I started this month is a new ministry opportunity. I was listening to K-Love sometime in March and I heard a radio ad for Groundwire. I heard these ads before they are fast paced youth oriented outreach and Gospel presentations geared toward the lost and hurting. This ad was different. For March Groundwire was K-Loves ministry of the month and they were looking for people to join their ministry as spiritual coaches.  I held this in my heart for a little while and then a couple weeks later checked out their website Groundwire.net to see what this is all about. I read all about their beliefs and their mission. They are a media based ministry whose goal is to interrupt young people’s lives with the Gospel. I thought that was interesting. They have placed adds all over mainstream and Christian radio and now they were placing ads on MTV, VH1, BET and the Cartoon Network. They use a chat format to communicate with people who log on looking for help.  Groundwire is the creation of Mr. Sean Dunn. He worked in youth ministry in his church and once a year they would go all out and do a youth rally. The kids would come and kids would be saved but he realized for the same expense he could bring the Gospel to the masses through technology and media. This was the start of Groundwire. It began with radio ads and e-mails and has grown to radio and television with real time chat replacing e-mail as the primary mode of communication.

This ministry is powerful. I have had more ministry opportunities in my first week than I had in any two months prior. I only put in around 5 hour of my time. In my first week I have worked with people who are really hurting, people who are lonely, depressed, struggling with questions about forgiveness and salvation, and one person who has had thoughts of suicide.  I believe God is really reaching people for his Kingdom here on Groundwire. I am very blessed to be a part of this ministry. I get to see firsthand God working with people that by any other means may be unreachable. I have learned so much from their resources and from reading chats of more experienced coaches.  Right now I am not going to give the prayer ministry or the youth ministry at my church because I think right now God has given me a nice balance. If things get hectic and become more than I can handle I would probably give up the administration part of the prayer ministry but not the ministry itself. But, right now all is well and God is doing great things.

So what do I take away from this? Well, God has shown me how much more I can accomplish when I keep the TV off. He also showed me he will make a way for his will to be done even in people who are hard to reach.

What can you do? Pray!  I would like to be a full time minister but that is just not an option right now so there is a lot going on. Pray for God to keep me his will and in balance.

Check it out www.groundwire.net

What does the Resurrection mean to me? (An excerpt from prayer & Worship night)

This is an exciting time to be at the Bridge*. This is an exciting time to be a Christian. God is moving in powerful ways and we are here tonight to ask God to lead us and bring us favor as we actively move in the lives of our neighbors during this Easter season and during a Radical Objective*. In devotional time I started thinking about how Jesus’ Resurrection changed my life. I was reading…

 Col 3:1-3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

So now we are redeemed and raised with Christ to a new life where the fears and habits of this life are no longer define who we are. Sin no longer defines who we are. We have been set free of all the things that keep us in bondage in this world.  Seek things that are above. Jesus is renewing our minds and the cares of this life don’t hold the same weight as the things of God. Now we seek a deeper knowledge of Christ, fellowship with Christ, and victory over sin through Christ. We seek an effective prayer life and effective witnessing. These are what truly matter more than any riches or anything offered on earth. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. We have a relationship with Christ that the world cannot understand. We are his and we no longer need to have fear, or anxiety about life or even death for that matter. We can be bold because we are connected with God, we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us and we have eternity to look forward to.

We have this new life but now what do we do with it? Jesus didn’t save us so we could sit in church and wait for eternity to happen. We need to share this new life the same way we received it. Someone shared the gospel with us, shared their testimony with us or invited us to church.  In my story it was my sister. I pray when my children tell their story it will be something like; we just always knew Jesus because mom and dad raised us with the gospel. Your story has someone sharing Christ with you. The fact is someone brought you to Christ and Christ changed your life. So what do we do now? We give what we have received and point other to Christ.

Now is the time to pray! Now is the time to share your hope! God is moving and active in the lives of Christians all over. The gospel is spreading like wildfire in China, India, and Iran. The Church is growing even though Christians are persecuted and killed. People are being saved and lives are being changed in the face of death and persecution. The enemy cannot stop God from moving in the lives of his people. God wants to move in powerful ways right here in Des Plaines.

God is doing powerful things. Just as Pastor Scott said," God is moving in a wave right now and we need to catch that wave". In my life alone God is changing lives in three individuals I’ve been pray for. In two families in my neighborhood he has allowed my family to connect with theirs through our children. Doors that seemed closed are opening. That is one person’s story. We have hundreds of stories happening right now all around us. God is moving in our church and in our lives and our neighborhood with a powerful force ready to answer our prayers.

One of the goals for Radical Objective is that God will move to reach the unchurched and the lost for His glory. We are praying that the Bridge family will double. This is a big goal and our God is able. But God is much bigger than that. I pray the Bridge is only the tip of the iceberg and God's plan is bigger than we can even imagine. I pray that God's plan is an outbreak of salvation coming across this area and even this country as a title wave. We have our small part in God’s big plan I’m excited to be part of this.

Romans: 1:16a For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”

*The bridge is my local church

*A Radical Objective is a current church goal to spread the gospel

Inspired

I know a young college student and his heart is wide open to serve the Lord. He is going to a secular college and is attending a bible study twice a week through a Christian ministry. On campus he has engaged other students with the Gospel and asked them to attend bible study with him.  His offers have been rejected by everyone he has asked. When I heard this I wanted to feel sorry for him but by the grace of God that is not where this man’s concerns were. He knew he was serving the Lord and he was unconcerned for his feelings. He was concerned about the souls of the students who didn’t know Jesus. He plans to continue with bible study and he’ll continue to invite people knowing he may be planting seeds by the word of God for a later time and may not see the harvest. I believe God will reward his faithfulness.

Sharing your faith is one of the hardest parts of the Christian walk. God has given an awesome gift and I want the whole world to know that Jesus came to this world and freely gave his life so we can be forgiven. Some people will read this and think a man giving his life for another man is just foolishness. That is because they don’t even realize they need salvation. Some will not believe that God created everything seen and unseen. Regardless of what they believe God did create everything including human beings. God created everything perfect and God walked with man in the beginning. Sin changed all that. Sin separated God and man and the curse of death was upon man. Even though sin separated us from God, he had a plan for our salvation. Jesus is that savior. Jesus the Son of God being fully God and fully man lived a sinless life. He demonstrated his authority as the Messiah by performing great miracles. He healed the sick, brought sight to the blind, the lame walked and the dead lived again. He taught the truth of the Kingdom of God and was put to death by the people he came to save as a criminal. He was crucified on a Roman cross and while dying God laid on him the sins of all mankind past, present and future. Three days later he rose from the dead crushing sin and death under him. He was seen by hundreds of his followers in the forty days after his resurrection and this is written in the scriptures. Jesus paid the price for my sin, your sin and the sin of anyone who by faith will accept this free gift of Jesus. Accept it and it will change your life.

I am a follower of Jesus and sometime sharing my faith with others is the hardest thing to do. Even though I know Jesus is the only way to fellowship with God, Jesus is the only way to be forgiven of sin and Jesus is the only way to eternal life. It is still hard. But I do share. I have been mocked. I have been teased. I have been laughed at and worse. But Jesus called us to be the light of the world. Jesus called us to proclaim the gospel to all nations and make disciples. So I will. I am inspired by that young college student who keeps sharing and keeps sharing even though he has not seen the fruit of his labor. I am inspired by the thousands of persecuted Christians who even under the most severe adversity continue in faith to proclaim the Gospel. Many throughout history have given their lives to share this “Good News”. In my comfortable life I call it hard and no one has sought my life because of the gospel. My prayer tonight for me and all Christians is for God to grant us boldness to proclaim the truth of the Gospel in love.

Why do I follow Jesus?

Have you ever sat done and asked yourself a question like that? Have you ever tried to discover why you do anything? Usually we come up with answers like; because that’s what my parents did or that is what I was taught in school or that is one of our traditions or even because that is the law. All these reasons when put into the light of Jesus are the recipe of religion. Truly following Jesus is so far beyond religion. You can not follow Jesus by rules, traditions or laws. Following Jesus requires a relationship.

My family introduced me to the idea of Jesus but he never felt real. The giant sized Jesus statues, the candles, repetitive prayers, church organs, priests and rules never made me feel close to God. I didn’t get it. I just felt insignificant and far away from the person, Jesus, who people said was my savior.  

I had some friends that lived around the block. They spoke of Jesus as having a relationship with them. This was so foreign to me. No one in my church ever mentioned a relationship. My aunt was a Catholic Nun and she never spoke of a relationship. The priests who read the gospel to us and spoke homilies to us never said anything about a relationship. So one day I asked those friends, how do you have a relationship with someone in heaven when we are here on earth? They said, “’You must be born again’. This is what Jesus said.” I was in eighth grade when all this was taking place and I was very confused about Jesus. Why don’t I know Jesus? What relationship? What is born again? We were getting ready for confirmation in church but what could I confirm I had nothing but questions and no one had answers.

I gave up on religion and just lived. I always felt something significant missing and tried to fill it with many things. Everything I tried to fill my life with left me feeling emptier than before. It was like I was running further and further from my destination even though I had no clue where I was to go. One day I ran into my cousin at work and he spoke to me about Jesus. He told me things like “Jesus came to give me an abundant life, Jesus loves me, He loved me so much that he gave his life for me” my cousin let me know all the stories I heard in church and religion class about Jesus were done for me. I eyes were starting to open; I had never heard the gospel made so personnel. A week later I received a package in the mail. It was a MacArthur study bible with a list of scriptures I should read. The bible sat unopened for weeks. I remembered reading the bible once before only to discover I’ve been lied to and I wasn’t sure I was willing to do this again.

I opened the bible to John 3:16 and I read; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” I was so intrigued by this verse. Could Jesus really love me? I read on for a few weeks trying to wrap my head around this Jesus and his love for the world, his love for me and being saved. I soon lost interest and went on just doing what I’ve been doing. I tried so many things but was never satisfied I just felt like every relationship I had and all the parties I went to and trying to do all the world had to offer just left me empty. I had so much regret and depression. I was at my end. It was at my end is where I realized the most powerful relationship I ever had. I was depressed, suicidal and utterly rejected. This is where Jesus found me. He found me in a place where I couldn’t get any lower. He saved my life that night through my sister who had found Jesus a few years before. I read his word and it fed my soul and gave me life. I went to a bible teaching church and I learned the truth about Jesus. I prayed and he answered. I got it. I know what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. I prayed he would forgive me for all my sin. I prayed that he would enter my heart and stay with me. He forgave me and he is with me through his Holy Spirit and he has given my salvation through his grace by his work on the cross and nothing I have done.

This is how I came to have a relationship with Jesus, but why do I follow Jesus? Can I have this relationship with Buda? No. Can I have this relationship with Allah? No. Can I have this relationship with the many gods of Hinduism? No. Can I have this relationship as a Jew? Only if I realize Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the promised messiah. Can any religion give me fellowship with God the creator of the universe? No, there is no religion that can give me fellowship with God only a relationship with Jesus can give fellowship with God. Jesus said, “…I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14: 6, 7

So why do I follow Jesus? The apostle Peter said it best “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,” John 6:68

Should be the most wonderful time of the year

This may sound ridiculous but the holiday season is sometimes the hardest time of the year to be a Christian. Stores and mega sellers have been advertising Christmas specials and Black Friday deals since October. The commercialization of Christmas is heartbreaking, especially when those profiting have tried to take Christ out of everything. Everything has a price and we are sold dreams and desires. We are made to believe that consumerism and stuff will make us “happy”. People have been trained by television to respond like Pavlov’s dog to the sound of the bell. People hear a jingle and whip out a credit card while Pavlov’s dog ran for the Alpo. I really want to know, how much is enough? How can we want more when we don’t appreciate what we have?

Personally my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I am so blessed to have the freedom I have, to have the family I have, my health and so much more. I love the idea of gathering with family and friends to enjoy our blessings. To thank God for all the good things we have, to remember that all good things come from God, and to pray. It’s a simple holiday with God at its center. I love the service we have a church the night before Thanksgiving Day. We have a simple worship service based on thanking God for all he has done and giving him the praise he deserves with music, prayer and reflection. It is amazing what God can do in your life when you have a thankful heart. I love the story of the first Thanksgiving. In September of the year 1620 people suffered a two month journey to reach a new land so they could enjoy religious freedom. Their first winter in New England nearly wiped out half their colony. These people cried out to God in their suffering and he answered them by sending them two friendly native men to teach them how to live in this new and strange place. The next year they had a bountiful harvest and celebrated with their new found friends and their people. Ninety Wampanoag Indians and Fifty Pilgrims feasted, played and prayed giving thanks to God for all he has blessed them with. They endured many hardships but they didn’t forget to pray and thank God through their trials. Three American President signed Thanksgiving proclamations including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Grover Cleveland. I believe Thanksgiving should be a bigger deal than it is but it lands right in between two of the biggest money makers in the retail world, Halloween and Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong I enjoy Christmas once I’m with my friends and family, but it’s the time leading up to Christmas that gets on my nerves. Commercials, ads, spam e-mails, the Church and Sate separators and the Happy Holiday Sayers are out in force right now and it is enough to drive you nuts.  A friend of mine posted this poem on Facebook and it pretty much sums up how I feel right now.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! T'was the month before Christmas__When all through our land,__Not a Christian was praying__Nor taking a stand.__See the PC Police had taken away__The reason for Christmas - no one could say.__The children were told by their schools not to sing__About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.__It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say__December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.__Yet the....................................... ...shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit__Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!__CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod__Something was changing, something quite odd!__Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa__In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.__As Targets' were hanging their trees upside down__At Lowe's the word Christmas - was nowhere to be found.__At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears__You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.__Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty__Are words that were used to intimidate me.__Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen__On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !__At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter__To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.__And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith__Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace__The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded__The reason for the season, stopped before it started.__So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'__Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.__Choose your words carefully, choose what you say__Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,__not Happy Holiday !__Please, all Christians join together and__wish everyone you meet__MERRY CHRISTMAS__Christ is The Reason' for the Christ-mas Season!__......pass it on if you like. :) MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!-Author Unknown.

The only gift I want for Christmas I have already received and that is Salvation. The only gift I want everyone I meet to have is to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) This was and is the greatest gift you will ever receive for Christmas or anytime. This is the reason of Christmas, the holiday season, and your existence in this life. Jesus is the reason.

The Colors of the Season

It seemed like it just happened overnight. One day the trees were full of green leaves and now golden leaves all over the ground. It seems like I didn’t have time to enjoy the changing of the colors. Now it’s time to rake up all the colors of fall before I ever had time to prepare for the changing of the seasons.  You would think that I would not get caught by surprise anymore but I still am. I will feel the same way when I see the first snowflake of winter. I know no matter how late in the season it will be too soon. The same things happen in our seasons. Looking back things seemed to start off so slow and everything took forever to unfold and before you know it I was learning how to read and write and suddenly I'm teaching my children how to read and write. All the seasons in between happened so fast I hardly realize the transitions.

Now I’m more aware. I have changed focus on my life and I seeing life in the context of eternity. With this perspective I notice the changing of the seasons in my life. I don’t know exactly what is to come but I know change is coming. I will be turning forty this year but that is just a number it has some but little to do with the season. So what’s changing? Well as a father and a husband I am teaching my children now just as my parents had their season to teach me. I am teaching them about Jesus and if I teach them nothing more in this life I know I obeyed the Lord in my most important assignment as a parent. I have embraced God’s instruction to be the spiritual leader in my home and to show the love of Christ by example to my family. Although I fall short, I try and love my wife as Christ loves the church and by the grace of God I am training up my children in the way they should go. I am teaching my family to have a social conscience. I’m helping to equip them to share the gospel and resources. I’m showing them a life outside of ourselves. I make sure they thank God for what they have and making sure they understand that most of the world lives on a small percentage compared to our blessings. I’ve taught them about the persecuted church and as we worship Jesus in our lives in the open we must pray and support our brothers and sisters around the world who are persecuted, tortured, and killed for the name of Jesus.

My season is changing as a follower of Christ as well. I have gone from unsaved to saved over a dozen years now when I accepted Jesus and let him take my sins with him on the cross. Now I am going from the one being ministered to the one God is using to minister to others. Now I am being asked to lead a ministry at church. I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. By his grace I will be ready for this season as well. I don’t know exactly what Jesus has planned for the rest of my life. I have small children and my primary mission is to raise them up to fear the Lord, to trust Jesus as their savior and to live a life pleasing to God. God has placed a desire in my heart to minister to the homeless in and around Chicago. I have only acted on this in small ways so far but I have a vision of a ministry to come and I pray for God to make a way, but I know right now is not the season. When my children grow older more and more seasons will come and go. There will be ministries and missions God will call me to and I will serve, in their season. I don’t know how long or how short the rest of this life will be. What I do know is Christ will make sure I am ready for all seasons of this life and my final season in eternity.  Can you feel the changing seasons in your life?