Have this mind among yourseves......

A few weeks back I wrote a post called "dishes in the sink" about living with people and the need to think about others and being humble and selfless and so on. Well, about one week ago my life got flipped upside down in this area and will continue to more so from here on out. I got engaged to the most amazing women. My life just went from thinking about someone in accordance to my life in various ways from time to time to having a completely different mindset 24/7, I think about her in all decisions I make. I'm not here to talk about Danielle and myself directly, for this is more the spring board for what I want to tlak about. This is more about the depth of selflessness and humility that we are called to as disciples of Y'shua. How God calls us deeper into this the further we go in life and our walk with Y'shua as his disciples.

Philippians 2:5-8 says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

First its a plural action that the Apostle is calling the people of God into. WE are to have this among each other as we do life together. Paul is trying to encourage the philippians (and us today) to look, see and understand that situations that are outside of our control will come and how we are to handle it. Now granted this is not my situation or yours (most likely) this day, but the need for communial action is and always will be there in the church. This Epistle (personal letter) was written while Paul was in a roman prison. He talks many times about his emprisionment in the intro of this letter (1:7, 1:13, 1:17, 1:19) and also about being like minded later on in the letter (2:1-2, 3:17). These are strong words but necessary as we are Y'shua's disciples.

As Y'shua walked the earth he only followed and listened to the Father (John 5:19-20). Y'shua said "For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and give his life as a randsom for many" (Mark 10:45). We see the act of giving what you have for the sake of others. Not just so they have but so they may have life and have it abundently (John 10:10). Our lives are to be so that others have life within themselves not for our sake, but theirs. This act of humility is necessary Paul says in the first few verses of Philippians 2. He says "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being full accord and of one mind" (2:2) and continues one about thinking of others above yourself. This is all in a situation when Paul is in prison. Probably not Paul's favorite place but one he learned acceptance of (4:12).

So I ask do we walk into a situation with joy (Hab. 3:18) and our eyes fixed on Y'shua (Heb. 12:1-2)? Or do we look to what we have to deal with or the situation (like Jobs wife, Job 2:9) instead of the one who is sovereign over all situations in ways we will never understand? (Isa. 43:3-7, 55:8-9; Rom. 11:33-36). Paul's gaze was on the one who was sovereign not a situational part of life. I want to encourage us to do this communally and not just individually as most take it practially this way. We are told that we will prove our lives as Y'shuas's disciples by how we live as individuals, but I would say more so together (John 13:34-35, 15:8; 2 Peter 1:3-11). Living together takes a loss of ones life more then from time to time giving something up for others (sacrificing) and is really only at our convience which is not true sacrifice at all.

I'm not claiming it to be easy but something we can and are to walk towards. Let us do it together!

Its not just a time of year....

I normally don't write a blog about thanksgiving around this time of year cause its so cliché but here goes.

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever." (Psalm 11:8:1)...

Thanksgiving...What is it? Its more than an day of year, its more then a reprieve we have for a few weeks leading up to a day we eat turkey and watch football. Its a daily reprieve of how to live. Its a manner of how to live for what you are given. Its an attitude of how to act in situations when life just plain stinks.

I'm being very simple here but the word "thanksgiving" just doesn't cut it in todays age. I want to say we must live with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is gratitude as a lifestyle. For gratitude is how to live. Its what to are. Its being sacrificial with what you have, for you look with trust in the Sovereign Lord over all creation with what He has decided to give to you. For me gratitude seems to comes down to one simple word....Trust. Trust with what you have and are given. You trust in Him and His love for you.

"Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord." (Psalm 4:5)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your path straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"I will put my trust in Him" (Hebrews 2:13)

All this is huge if one is to start overcoming guilt, sorrow and shame. Gratitude makes the heart joyful, right and complete when one looks to God's gracious gifts. The greatest of all being Jesus and walking in gratitude with that in mind. Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Y'shua (Jesus) in the greatest fulfillment of the greatest need of all humanity, for Y'shua must be central if gratitude is to flow from the heart and ultimately for change to come. Its must not be a seasonal thing or thought. It MUST be a lifestyle towards God first and then it will just naturally flow towards others as we live with grateful worship for Y'shua the greatest of all God's gifts towards any human being.

Blessing to you all!

This is who I am.....

Last night I had an interesting thing happen to me. I had what is called by some as a "God encounter". I have been trying some things to continually work on my spiritual growth because just reading scripture, praying, fellowship and other "church" type stuff only did so much. I mean I would continually struggle and fight things I always thought would dissipate over time. Well they would but I always did a bandage type of a job. I mean I only got some of the surface level problems and how to keep putting a bandage over the wound. So last night I dove deep with the help of and amazing woman that I get the pleasure of calling my girlfriend (even though she's a woman and not a girl).

We all have wounds. We all have problems due to a fall of adam in Genesis chapter 2. Our flesh rides high in this world unless we seek the face of the healer to do more then a bandage so as the problem to come back like a festering wound and if not properly handled will cause something like gangrene in our body and do more damage then it should ever. Scripture speaks of God as a healing God (Ps. 103:3, Isa. 53:5, Mal. 4:2, Matt. 4:23, James 5:16, Rev. 22:1-2). This is what I sought last night. I honestly was scared cause if what I was hoping for would happen then my securities would be removed or at least start to be removed. And guess what that is what happened. God removed a burden but what was a burden I always thought of as security.

As a man I still struggle with allowing people into my heart of hearts. I always learned that standing string as a "man" was to look like your strong but this was and is wrong. By letting people in I have become stronger then even and will continue to grow in this way the more vulnerable I allow myself to become. Last night was another step in vulnerability and healing. I excited to say this and allow Danielle into this area of my life. I know she loves, cares and wants the best for me, she trust me and calls me "her man" (because I am just that; a man)...I say this cause I am excited about this and its  even more so a part of me healing and growing.

Because of my "God encounter" last night I an taking one step forward at a time. Nothing in this world defines me. I am pressing onward toward the goal in Christ Jesus. I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling. I am a man. I am a man that struggles but looks to Y'shua to help me up and heal me. I am redeemed. I am seated with Christ in the heavenly places. And guess what, I am EXACTLY who God called and created me to be.

This is who I am and am working towards!

This is who I am



 

revisting India....

One year ago this month I was in route to India for a two week during the Thanksgiving with a non-profit company from Colorado Springs, Colorado. I was in route to get my world rocked. I knew about the issues in developing countries, helped with missions organizations and even knew the stats about the issues that plagued these areas and could rattle them off at the drop of a hat, but again my world was about to be rocked. I didn't go with a prideful spirit but one as my mentor and friend challenged me with, saying "go ready to receive and experience, not give". I was confused at first by this but my friend sumeet said this with great love and care for me and his home country of India. He challenged me to go and experience the great people of India who need the light of the gospel of Jesus.

So I prayed that the Lord would give me that ability and heart to do so. He gave me one of the greatest gifts he has given me in years. I was able to look at a people and just walk with them for about 2 weeks with the greatest love and compassion and mercy I've ever been able to have towards a people that I don't even know and probably will never see again. As we flew over to a country I'd never been to I was looking forward to see the work that the Lord was doing in Kalkata and Darjeeling. Not only did I get to experience a people that we extremely grateful for what little they had but also the little they had they wanted to give what they had. They gave like the woman with two coins saying "she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on" (Luke 21:4). Granted money to food is different but the giving out of poverty is just the same.

This lady that Y'shua talks about was in a position to be selfish but was not. So the people of India have the right in my opinion have the right to be selfish in ways that I already am. I looked into a nation and saw great wealth and joy. This wealth and joy was not in cash or abundance but in gratitude of what they have. I sit even a year later and see my lack of gratitude. Wow, this must change. My wonderful girlfriend Danielle, talks about gratitude as being the pathway to joy. She has also been to India but for a period of 4 months, living and breathing the nature of India herself. My visit to India was a much needed start to seeing and understanding gratitude.

Now I'm having to revisit India and the outlook and pressure that I feel to live simply but also blessed by my Father in Heaven who gives good gifts to His children  (Matthew 7:11; James 1:17). Learning to be a good steward of what I have but also to be one that lives with a spirit (attitude) of helping others knowing that my Father will provide for me and my family. I definitely do not have it all together but am daily with the help and encouragement of friends, Danielle and the Holy Spirit I am pressing forward to live a life in a manner worthy of the gospel (Philippians1:27).

I am learning daily what this means....

 

rise Y'shua rise.....

Its an amazing thing that when Y'shua was crucified as a murder it was not the end but the truth of death and life was just getting a move on in God's will, eye's and heart. You see when Y'shua died and was taken down from the cross it was an aspect of life taking over in him. He was taken to a tomb to be buried and layed to rest. One of the things I love here is the relation of this to the sacrifice of the lamb on the day of atonement (see Levicitus 16). After the High Priest would take the blood of the lamb into the holy of holies and sprinkle it on the mercy seat (also known as the atonement seat), this would be as to the acceptance of the sacrifice whether he walked out of the temple or not.

The priest would have items attached to him as he made this sacrifice in the temple. One he would have bells on him so that the priests outside of the temple waiting for him to finish would know whether he was dead or alive and also the high priest would enter the temple with a rope tied around his waist so that if he died/was stuck dead while offering the atonement they could just drag him out. This was necessary cause no one but the high priest was allowed into the holy of holies. And even he was only allowed to go in once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people. This is all very basic but all very necessary and beautiful to see the greater meaning behind the resurrection of our Lord Y'shua.

You see when Y'shua was layed to rest in the tomb it was part of the acceptance in God's will, eyes and heart. When this happened Y'shua was working towards overcoming all things; the devils work and the fall of Adam to the fullest. I say "working towards" cause it will only be finished when the fullness of the consummation in the end times comes to pass (Revelation 21). All that said We must understand and see the necessary of the resurrection in our lives. Not only does it eternally bring to fullness our blessed hope (1 Peter 1:3-9), but also brings into play the abundant life that Y'shua talks about in the gospel of John chapter 10.

We are not called to live in the death of Y'shua but the life and death and resurrection and glorification of Y'shua the messiah. Even though we are called to die daily to ourselves (Luke 9:23). This death is the very stepping stone. Imagine if Y'shua stayed on the cross?!?! We would not received glorified bodies as Paul says (1 Cor. 15), in fact Paul says "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then even Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:13-14)....For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:16-17). We see and have this great and necessary truth for our faith to be sound and real Paul says. We would not be able to live unto God and be with him forever. Life would never be part of who we are. Just death. This is not good news but menial news at its best. Now I'm not trying to take anything away from what the death of Y'shua means and what it does, but look into greater and more significant meaning of the totality of life from God in the resurrection.

As for us this very day in the year 2013 its not any different for us then for the early church. Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:17, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come" and also in Romans 8:10-11, "But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." and also in 2 Peter 1:3-4, "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires.". These are just very few scriptures that talk of this.

Stand strong child of God. You have overcome sin, the world and the evil one through the perfect work of Y'shua in his life, death, resurrection and glorification. Stand in victory in him Ephesians 6:10 says..."Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might".

Blessings to you.

 

death of Y'shua.....

After yesterdays blog I did some thinking and feel necessary to continue more on the subject of death in Christ, but lets first look at Christ's death first. To start out we see that Y'shua was betrayed by those that said they would follow him where ever he went, He was betrayed by the Jews, after this He was brutally whipped by what were commonly called "cats claws" (this would be a wood stick about 1- 1/12 feet long with would be a rope like substance with small claws on the end to dig into the skin and rip it to shreds) and they would do this 40 lashes minus 1 which basically is getting you as close to death as possible without killing, He was then traded by the Romans at the request of the Jews for a murder (so he then was placed in murder row in the eyes of the people), He was lead to die on a cross all while having to carry that very cross about 2-3 miles to his death. Mind you this death was capital punishment (death on a cross) and VERY painful. First they would nail your wrists and feet to this cross (literally nails though your body) and if bleeding to death wasn't bad enough you would suffocate also. So while death is at the door you have to lift yourself up to catch a solid breath. And if that wasn't enough if you still weren't dead after a 5-6 hour process they would brake your legs so you then for sure die of suffocation. This process of bleeding and suffocating was long and painful process while people watched you die the death of a murder.

This was a sick, ugly, brutal, painful and shameful way to die in the 1st century. Again it was capital punishment and not meant to be friendly to the one going through it. The Romans came up with this system to sway others from committing the same crimes. The way that Y'shua died was not friendly, but necessary for him to complete the work the Father called him to do. He was called to humble himself to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8) to the glory of God and the elect. Ephesians 5:1 says we are to imitate Christ in the manner of love. Y'shua went to the cross in love of the people He created and for the fulfillment of God's righteous glory (1 John 4:8-12, Romans 3:21-26, Ephesians 1:3-10). This was all for the sake of the kingdom of God and the glory of God. Imagine that, Y'shua died for everyone but himself. Amazing, beautiful, stunning and convicting all in one shot!

As a follower of Y'shua I am called to this very same thing. Y'shua says......

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or for fits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:23-27)

I love this cause it said directly after Y'shua speaks of His own death, suffering, rejecting and resurrection. Not only is that on the disciples minds but I would have to say there own death also could very well be. There is something scary about this but also very refreshing as a follower of Y'shua. I am called to die daily of myself which is scary, but also living to God on the refreshing side. Death means my wants and desires get put in the back seat, laid aside for God's will, forgotten in a way so others my be lead of Y'shua.  Living with 3 other guys this isn't as challenging as I thought it would be but yet it is cause we are all very different in many ways. We all respond and react to situations in different ways. In general its just not the normal from what I'm told and see in this world. Its all about you, your money is yours to do as you wish, you need to live the American dream and so on. This is a joke in reference to following Y'shua.

All this said in light of Y'shua's death i am called to not live comfortable, welcomed by all and so on. My life is not my own, but God's to do as he wills. This could be a missionary in a foreign country, a pastor, a math teacher, a garbage man, a pool chemical vendor and so on. I'm at a point in life of seeking God leading me in a few different ways but no matter where he leads I must die to Aaron and live to God as Y'shua did (Romans 6:10). It might not be pretty, comfortable, happy (outward), controlling on my end or even something I wanted in the long run, but its not my life, its God's.

Blessings to you all!

dishes in the sink....

Living with people will cause you to be selfless. I have 3 roommates and I had a dilemma today as I  walked into the kitchen. There were dishes in the sink that weren't mine and had been there for about 4-5 days. Kinda gross in a way but yet not compared to when I was in India. Anyways, I have to say that for the past number of days I just said to my self , "there not yours so don't do them" which in someways is true cause people need to be responsible for there own mess, but not cause I am called to a life of sacrifice. So today as I made something to eat, I looked at the sink and God very simply said to me "do the dishes". After a minute of thinking I did them. Now granted its only a few dishes that took about 5 minutes of my day. But it was the lesson I had to again learn. My life is not my own. Very profound but very simple.

My life is God's and at His service. And in his service I am called to live to death of self and life to God (Rom. 6:10). In having 3 other roommates I must and will continue to learn selfless living and humility as I live in this house. I am convinced that this love is fulfilled in this act of selflessness. We see this in a great way with the creator of the universe taking on human skin, living with us, dying on the cross and raising from the dead. This I speak of is the greatest act of humility in Jesus Christ the Son of God (Philippians 5:5-11). As I walk through life as a friend, son, brother, boyfriend and so on I am called to be humble and sacrificial to all around me.

I have been given so much in this life and want to continue to give to those around me. I want continue to learn from this example and others as God leads. In this I don't know what God will bring across my path in the next few hours, days or weeks, but I can choose to walk in the way on my God has laid out for me; whether humility, gratitude, death to self or the many others I should live out. But I have been learning and am seeing that gratitude is the gateway to the spiritual realm. In this I want to end with a verse from the bible that speaks about this subject and says,

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Y'shua, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17).

Deserts.....yep, thats it!

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1)

"We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7)

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1)

"The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' And the Lord said, 'If you had faith like the grain of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be up rooted and planted into the sea and it would obey you'" (Luke 17:5-6)

"So Abraham called the name of that place, 'The Lord will provide', as it is said to this day 'On the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided'" (Genesis 22:14)

Now in essence faith is very strong part of what God  calls his people to live in. Its spoken over and over in the Bible about how we who follow the Triune God of the Holy bible are called to walk in faith all the days of our lives. The prophets say it, Y'shua says it, as do the Apostles. Its easily seen that we are to live by faith but faith is not so easily lived out! Its tough, rough and a lot of times just plain stinks. Personally I am in a place that feels like a desert and that all I thought was calling me into seems very distant, but its amazing what faith can do. I wake up day by day and say Lord I believe, I don't understand sometimes but I believe. That said, faith is something we work out through life's trials, ups, downs and even the mundane.

I'm in one of those mundane seasons and its rough. I have people around me that love me and are supporting me and encouraging me but I have to say that daily I am seeing the goodness of God in this and still hearing God speak to me about little things here and there. At first glance this stinks but I know that God is faithful and as I take steps towards him He will do and accomplish His purposes for me and His kingdom. I write all this cause I have thought that God always called me to ministry in the church, but I'm seeing little by little that I'm still called but I am slowly seeing it being different then what I always thought. Some of what God has spoken are only for me and some are for just a few chosen people in my life (you know who you are).

This process is slowly being opened over the last few days as God like I said is speaking so I ask....Lord give me ears to hear and eyes to see! Now to you all I ask you to pray for me as this time in life is tough but God is speaking as my God is always there and loves me dearly so I will push through!

Leading from.....

Leading....when I hear this word I normally think of the person that stands in front and directions the affairs of others. Now this could be in war, church, business or just life in general, but I'm not so sure anymore. The question that makes me wonder about leading is not what are they leading but how are they leading. This is a much more important and necessary question to me at this point in my life and for the greater calling of the Church in general. I am really learning a lot about this cause of the wonderful lady God has placed in my life and trying to lead her right. All this said, Y'shua lived on this earth from a place of service and humility. I, as many have and do call Him, the suffering servant, from what Isaiah chapter 53 lays out for us.

But at this point I want to look at what the gospel of Mark says in chapter 10 verse 42-45,

"And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. but it shall not be so among you. but whosoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many."

Y'shua touches on a subject that I think we all should be looking at. Leading out of serving not leading out of position or power. The gentiles had a very interesting easy of leading and being placed in leadership. They would buy there leadership and there authority was one that they put themselves into and not from a place as Y'shua mentions as leading from the side (my words from the title). The Romans would be in power by paying a high price to Ceaser and so on. Just previous to all the text above says two of the disciples as Y'shua about being seated at His right and left in glory. Y'shua basically asks them if they think they can really life and deal with that as they say they can and Y'shua affirms them in that and there calling for His kingdom.

The thing is that James and John both want a place of position by asking for it. This is not much unlike the gentiles who buy there position and then lord over people as a means of power and position. Y'shua then rebukes all the disciples in what leading really look likes. He says the above text not only in love but in rebuke of James and John and there desires to be in glory. If you want to take Y'shua literally then death for others is true leading. Giving your life in buying others life is leading. Service I don't think is a strong enough word but death to bring life is necessary.

Now Y'shua preludes his words of his life as a ransom for many to being servant of all means greatness in the kingdom and that's true leadership. To lose all ideas and thoughts about leading by position and power by following in out Lord's example of humility in service and death of self to bring life into others. Now in my life this has been a challenge but a joy at the same time, for I've seen God do some really cool things in submitting to this but also death to my wants and desires and thoughts about leading have been tough and not fun.

I've had to learn what it means to die to self so that God my live through me (Romans 6:10). My Lord Y'shua's life was one that dies so that life may come. I pray and hope that some how I move into leading in the church and my relationships in this manner and for you also.

......your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.....

life changes so we must change

As always its been a while since I blogged but life has not been what I've always known over the past year. For the past year I have not done formal ministry but informal. Before I moved to Colorado and even my first year and a half I was a pastor but for the past year I have been selling pool chemicals. This in and of itself is not bad, but my life feels out of whack. I personally feel out of whack. I feel like I'm trying to find myself all over again. Living in CO has placed me into a greater love for running, I've discovered rock climbing and even the mountains are totally different to me. I always ran for fun and exercise but the other two are new. Again these are not bad just different.

My life as a Christian for the most part has been doing formal ministry like teaching the bible, leading ministry's and overall just being a pastor in general. Over the past year I have not been doing this to the degree that I'm used to, but I have been in some ways still teaching and pastoring but not in the manner I'm used to. I have learned a couple things. First what it means to die to self and second what Christian ministry looks like and is really all about. In the teachings of Jesus I recall two passages about this. The first is.....

           "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life, will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." (Gospel of Luke 9:23-26)

The whole realm of this text is death. for me in modern day America This makes very little sense cause in Jesus' day the cross was a means of execution for a criminal worthy of the death penalty. Now Jesus was placed in this position and died on the cross as scripture teaches but yet rose from the dead three days later. This Son of God, God in flesh, died but yet lived. For me to follow Jesus I am called to do the same. I am to follow in His steps which can suck sometimes, be just plain tough. I mean death is not easy to deal with or to live in. This means to plainly kill something, for this thing is ourselves, our desires, our wants, our will so that God and His will may live though us.

For me over the past year God has been placing me in situations to choose one of two paths. Life or death. Now again this sounds strange but very necessary for me to fully serve God in what He has called me towards. Romans 6:10 says, "The death he died he died to sin once for all, so that the life he lived he lived to God". Death brings life. Another passage in John 12:24 says, "Truly, Truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit", for again death bring life. I have been challenged to give up (die to) ministry. This for me falls into the next passage which is.......

         "Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." (Ephesians 3:7-8).

This is part of a passage (all of it is Ephesians 3:7-11) that God spoke over me about 3 years ago that I held to very tight. I held it so tight that I didn't really listen to God on it after he said this is for you. now really quick Paul wrote this about God calling him to preach the gospel of God to the gentiles. Paul was one of the most interesting Apostles to me cause he had full rights to receive money for his work but refused to and worked as a tent maker. Paul the Apostle worked so as not to take from the furthering of the gospel. Now this is not for all but Paul wanted to not get in the way.

I have come to see that my calling in ministry as to the church but I don't see this as being a formal one to the church all times and all places. God has continually placed me into positions of bi-vocational ministy to those that know God and those that don't know God. This has meant death to what I saw what I thought "God called me to" to a revamping of ministry in modern day America. I see God placing me for now as a missionary where I live. Not that I "convert" people, but so that God's love and righteousness is displayed in my life. This challenge has been one of death to me. For me to dive deeper into God speaking about what this is for me.

Either formal or informal. In the workplace or in the church. Someone close to me said a few weeks back said, "You know, God man never have to doing ministry in the way you've always know it.". As I write this I still process where God is taking me, for life is death to me, for this I pray!

What will you do.....(part 1)

So again, it has been a while since I wrote anything, but Its been a cool few months with all that God has been doing I could talk for ever but don't worry I won't, but I will talk...haha. Anyways, Over the past year I have been part of  what is commonly called a "missional church" to which most think its another passing fad in the Church but I see it as God bringing His people back to living in a manner in which Jesus desires and calls His sheep to live like.

We (Americans) live in an interesting culture. One that is counter productive to what has always been. About 200 years ago many people came to america wanting religious freedom from the church of England and the powers at be. They came with the desire to not be constrained by these powers towards there personal desires for religion and God. Previous to this the church was integrated into everyday life for a few hundred years from Constantine, the reformation and so on, for then on Europe became Christian culture. Going to church on Sundays and everything that goes with it was just part of life. This all then flowed over into the Americas (more specifically the united states of america is what we call it today).

The Church then defaulted to what it always knew which was not a bad thing but good and God used it, but it would not work forever with many different cultures and people groups coming in. This also is good cause God created ALL people equal as should they be viewed this way. Anyways, the church was working in default mode and as the US culture changed the church continued to default to what it always knew which was good old church stuff (I'm not saying this is bad, but became wrong). Defaulting is not bad but when it goes against what you believe it is wrong. let me explain; Jesus Christ moved into a culture (Jewish) and was Jewish in many ways. He lived it and breathed it. He was kosher and followed torah (Jewish law), he went to synagogue and learned/memorized it till about age 10. These are just a few things. My point is Jesus was A Jew to the Jews first.

We also see Paul who dealt with gentiles and became a like a gentile for the gentiles sake and said, "For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not myself being under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). This is interesting since Paul was mostly in non-jewish cultures even himself being Jewish. We can see this in his many journeys sharing the gospel.

We in the US are daily surrounded by many people who are of different faiths or no faith in a supreme being who is influencing there lives though there choices.That said we don't live in a culture that church or things of the Christian God is there lifestyle but we in the church do life as though everyone is Christian. Like I said this is not true; in fact most people are not of the Christian faith. We are in a culture that needs to be looked at differently and handled differently. This shift needs to happen otherwise we will never live the life we are called to nor will we reach people with a God who is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness" (Psalm 103:8). Simply going to church is not the holistic para-dime we are meant to live, for that is a small part and has many factors to it. None of which I will touch on here.

That all said, I love how Alan Hirsch in his co-authored book Right here, Right now puts it, he says "Christianity is an intrinsically missional faith" (page 33). In the nature of the Church we are meant and called to be missional to all people at all times. This is not just an overseas mentality as we always have been taught but an over your fence and cross your street mentality. Being on mission is being sent by God right where you are living. This is a posture that we are to have at all times, for Jesus said, "as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you" (John 20:21). We serve a God who's heart and desire is for all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Now I understand that all won't follow Him and so be saved but that His working not mine. He judges people, I'm not called to judge but to love. As one who lives the teaching of Martin Luther's priesthood of all believers we are ALL sent by God and not just a special group of people or even men alone and women sit on the sidelines but ALL are called by God to be on mission as a unified body of Christ.

Now I ask what will you do. Run and hide? Take chances? Talk to people who are not of the Christian faith? Love all people no matter what they say or believe? Argue with me over doctrine? Look into the conversation of being on missional/sent by God?

God's peace, love and grace be with you as you serve the King and His kingdom